On Friday, January 5, 2024, an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft put its 177 passengers in a frenzy. Flying at 16,000 feet after taking off from Portland, Oregon, the aircraft’s door plug suddenly blew off. Miraculously, the passengers didn’t get sucked out of the plane despite the gaping hole. So, is it possibile for people to get sucked out of a plane?
Has this happened before?
In 1990, the left windscreen panel of a British Airways Flight 5390 suddenly detached from the plane. As a result of the air rushing out of the pressurized cockpit, the captain was half sucked out of the plane, with flight attendants holding onto his legs.
Fortunately, the attendants didn’t let go; he suffered frostbite and minor fractures when the flight landed 20 minutes later. Twenty-eight years after, the co-pilot of a Sichuan airplane was partially sucked out of a window after a windshield cracked. Again, the co-pilot suffered minor injuries.
What happened to the passengers on the Alaska Airlines aircraft?
Flying at 16,000 feet after takeoff, a door plug flew off the aircraft. Although no one was ‘sucked out’, the air ripped headrests off the closest seats to the hole and someone’s shirt was even ripped off.
The terrifying occurrence left the passengers with issues like breathing difficulty and concussion, for which they’ve been cleared. However, it’ll take a while for them to move on from the trauma of the incident.
Was there a problem with the door plug?
The door plug that flew out of the airplane was about the size of a refrigerator. Experts have argued that the incident could have been avoided if the door plug had been larger than the opening it covers and had been installed inside the plane.
Instead, the removed door plug was installed to open outward in case of an emergency. While it’s true that the problem could have been avoided if the door was installed inside, the way it was installed wasn’t the cause. The reason is still being investigated.
Do people even get sucked out of a plane?
Since the notable similar occurrences haven’t led to people getting totally ‘sucked out’ of planes, we wonder if it’s possible at all. Well, it’s more appropriate to say people get ‘pushed out’ of planes.
The pressure outside a plane is about two and a half times lower than inside the cabin; this explains why a hole can cause a blast of air that can push anything not pinned down out of the plane. In more serious cases, people can get pushed out- even with their seats!
Should we start avoiding window seats on flights?
Many people love window seats because of the view. But, considering the possibility of getting pushed out of the plane, you might want to opt for an aisle seat.
Planes are built with super strong windows that will require the persistent action of a hammer to break; the windshields are even stronger- they can withstand lightning bolts. Previous cases of breakage were caused by maintenance issues, not window issues.