Incident Overview

 *Date and Time*: January 5, 2024 ¹
 *Flight Details*: Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, experienced a blowout of an unused door plug
 *Location*: Shortly after departing from Portland International Airport in Oregon
 *Incident Description*: The blowout caused an uncontrolled decompression, leading to a rapid loss of cabin pressure and oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling

*Crew and Passenger Experience*

 *Chaos*: The crew described the situation as "chaos" ³
 *Pilot Experience*: The pilots faced a challenging situation, with the co-pilot's headset being torn off due to the decompression
 *Passenger Experience*: Passengers reported a loud bang and whooshing air, with some experiencing minor injuries

*Investigation and Response*

 *NTSB Investigation*: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched an investigation into the incident
 *FAA Response*: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspections
 *Boeing Response*: Boeing is working on design changes to prevent similar incidents and is cooperating with the investigation