Alaska Airlines Pilot Recalls Terrifying Mid-Flight Door Blowout on Boeing 737 Max 9

In a shocking turn of events, First Officer Emily Wiprud of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 recently recounted the harrowing experience she and her crew endured when a door panel unexpectedly blew out of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft during mid-flight in January. The incident, which took place 16,000 feet above ground, forced the crew to make an emergency landing, and the first officer bravely opened up about the terrifying moments in an exclusive interview with CBS News.

Terrifying Moment in the Air

First Officer Wiprud detailed the chaos in the cockpit as the first signs of trouble manifested. "The first indication was an explosion in my ears and then a whoosh of air," she described. "My body was forced forward and there was a loud bang as well. ... The flight deck door was open. I saw tubes hanging from the cabin." In that moment, uncertainty reigned. Wiprud emphasized the surreal nature of the experience, stating, "I didn't know that there was a hole in the airplane until we landed. I knew something was catastrophically wrong."

She vividly recalled the overwhelming noise that engulfed the cockpit, saying, "It was so incredibly loud. And I remember putting the oxygen mask on and trying to transmit to air traffic control and wondering 'Why can't I hear anything?'" It was later revealed that multiple objects, including two passenger phones, Wiprud's headset, and various aircraft components, were violently ejected from the aircraft due to the explosive decompression.

Rapid Response and Prioritization

The door panel, known as a door plug, is designed to secure door spaces not typically in use on an aircraft, effectively converting them into windows. The incident occurred just six minutes into the flight, which was en route from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California. The immediate impact was a drastic change in cabin pressure, prompting the crew to swiftly prioritize landing the aircraft safely.

Following the sudden loss of cabin pressure, First Officer Wiprud turned her focus to accounting for the safety of the 171 passengers and four flight attendants on board. Upon opening the flight deck door, she was met with a striking scene: "I opened the flight deck door and I saw calm, quiet, hundreds of eyes staring right back at me," she recounted. The gravity of the situation deepened when she learned from the flight attendants that there were vacant seats and injuries among the passengers. Wiprud's heart sank at the realization that they might have lost passengers due to the incident.

Fortunately, no passengers were ejected from the aircraft, but the ordeal took a toll on a young boy on board. Describing the scene, First Officer Wiprud noted, "While Wiprud was checking with the flight attendants, she saw the teen's mother on the ground searching for him. 'She looked back and her son was gone. As a mother myself, I can't even imagine that feeling,' said Wiprud, who has two young children." In a stroke of luck, it turned out that the boy, who was seated in the same row as the blown-out panel, had quickly moved to another seat, avoiding any serious injury.

Landmark Recognition and Investigation

The successful landing of the aircraft was a testament to the crew's skill and professionalism under duress, and the reported injuries were thankfully minor. Wiprud's composure and resilience during the crisis were further acknowledged by Captain Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, who stated, "the most important safety device on any aircraft is two well-trained, qualified and rested pilots. ... This crew instinctually put their training in place and executed just flawlessly."

In the wake of the incident, preliminary investigations conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed a shocking blame on four key bolts that were intended to secure the door plug in place. The Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Justice, and the FBI also launched their own investigations into the matter. Passengers were informed through a letter that they may have been "victim(s) of a crime." Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, stated its intention to cooperate fully with all ongoing investigations to ascertain the cause of the incident.

Honoring Heroic Actions of the Crew

First Officer Wiprud, along with the captain of Flight 1282, is set to receive the 2023 Air Line Pilots Association Superior Airmanship Award for their exemplary handling of the crisis. Acknowledging the collaborative efforts that ensured the safety of all aboard, Wiprud expressed her admiration for her co-pilot and the entire flight staff, stating, "My captain is a hero. Same with the flight attendants, same with all the personnel that was there to support us that day. And that should be celebrated. Everybody survived."