NTSB investigators arrived in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday to begin their investigation into what happened on Alaska Flight 1282.
The Boeing 737 Max 9 that was forced to make an emergency landing a few moments after takeoff on Friday had only made it to about 16,000 feet before a door plug fell out, opening a hole in the fuselage next to seat 26A.
Had the Alaska Airlines flight made it to its cruising altitude of more than 30,000, the situation may have been much more dire, with passengers potentially walking around the cabin, said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.
“We could have ended up with something so much more tragic,” Homendy told reporters late Saturday.
NTSB investigators arrived in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday to begin their investigation into what happened on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. The board’s “Go Team” included experts on “structures, operations and systems.”
That team is expected to work closely with officials from Boeing, Alaska Airlines, the Federal Aviation Authority, and associations representing pilots and flight attendants, Homendy said.
