The shocking Boeing 737 incident, briefly explained

On Friday, January 5, the door plug of a commercial Boeing 737 Max 9 came off as the plane was climbing, opening a large hole on the side of the plane, alarming passengers onboard, and raising new questions about flight safety. For now, certain models of that plane have been temporarily grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration in the US and by several aviation authorities abroad, a move that impacts Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and other companies that utilize this aircraft.

The mishap sharpens the spotlight on air travel, which, while overwhelmingly safe, has been the subject of recent reports about outdated technology that buries important automated warnings, staffing issues leading to air traffic controller shortages, and communication failures contributing to planes nearly colliding. Additionally, it adds to specific scrutiny of the Boeing 737 Max planes, which have been involved in two past crashes and have also been the subject of prior software glitches.

Friday’s incident took place about 20 minutes into a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, startling staff and passengers onboard. As depicted in videos and described by witnesses, the door plug suddenly fell away with a loud pop, leaving a hole in the side of the plane. (A plug effectively seals a part of the plane that can be used as a door, closing off the opening if a door hasn’t been installed.) Cellphones, AirPods, a child’s shirt, and a pilot’s headset were reportedly sucked out of the plane due to the change in pressure. Oxygen masks descended in the plane in order to help people breathe.