Shocking moment part of new plane ‘rips off’ mid-flight causing emergency landing

Passengers were left horrified after part of a plane they were travelling on was torn off mid-flight on Friday.

The 177 passengers and crew onboard the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 were forced to make a frantic emergency landing after a part of its fuselage and a window were blown out shortly after take off.

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According to flight tracking data, the jet had climbed to more than 16,000ft (4,876m) when chaos erupted and oxygen masks were deployed as a gaping hole appeared in the side of the aircraft.

Shocking posts on social media show how a window and a significant portion of one side of the plane is missing, while the starry night sky is completely visible to panicked travellers sat in their seats nearby.

Reports claim loose items, such as mobile phones, began flying out of the large opening due to the sudden loss of pressure, while a child sat close by had to be held down in their seat.

The Alaska Airlines flight was heading to Ontario, California and had departed from Portland, Oregon, just after 5.00pm local time yesterday (5 January).

Local media claimed the part of the plane which was affected was a deactivated emergency door which is now used as a regular cabin window. It blew out while thousands of feet in the air, quickly depressurising the cabin.

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The Boeing 737 Max 9 was forced to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport around 20 minutes after initially taking off and incredibly, no injuries were reported.

Alaska Airlines said all 177 people onboard had 'landed safely' and that it was now 'working to gather more information'.

The travel firm's CEO, Ben Minicucci, issued a statement saying: "My heart goes out to those who were on this flight - I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.

“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating this event and we will fully support their investigation."

Boeing said it was aware of the incident and is 'working to gather more information', as Alaska Airlines announced it is grounding its entire fleet of Max-9 aircraft following the dramatic incident.

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The airline said it would 'temporarily' ground all 65 of its 737 Max 9 aircraft to conduct thorough checks.

Minicucci added: "Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections."

The US Federal Aviation Agency confirmed the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 'returned safely... after the crew reported a pressurisation issue'.

A video on social media shows one woman's first hand account on the chaos of her flight, as passengers were left thankful that no one had been seated directly next to the now non-existent window.

She explained: "A part of the plane flew off not even 20 minutes into our flight? Flew back for an emergency landing

"It wasn't event the emergency door because we were in the back half. It was just a random piece of the plane.

"Everyone on the plane is okay. Luckily there was no one seated next to the window."

The Max is the newest version of Boeing’s 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on US domestic flights. The plane went into service in May 2017.