Alaska Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Midair Pressure Problem Causes Fuselage Blowout During Takeoff, Several Passengers Report Minor Injuries
Alaska Airlines Flight 1234 made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon on January 5th, 2024.
A midair pressure problem caused a chunk of the fuselage to blow out during takeoff.
Several passengers reported minor injuries, including one who lost his shirt due to violent depressurization.
On Friday, January 5th, an Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon after experiencing a midair pressure problem that caused a chunk of the fuselage to blow out. The incident occurred during takeoff and passengers described hearing a loud bang followed by whooshing sound as oxygen masks deployed instantly. Several people on board reported minor injuries, including one passenger who lost his shirt due to violent depressurization. Flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000 feet before returning safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.
A large section of the aircraft's fuselage blew out in mid-air
The incident occurred during a flight from PDX to Ontario, California. The flight departed Portland at 4:40 p.m.
174 passengers and 6 crew members were aboard the flight
Several people on board reported that oxygen masks deployed immediately after depressurization
The fire department responded to the plane after it landed and treated minor injuries, with one person taken from the scene for additional medical treatment.
Accuracy
Passenger Evan Smith described that he heard a big loud bang to the left rear, followed by a whooshing sound and all oxygen masks deployed instantly. A boy's shirt was sucked off him out of the plane.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that a large section of the aircraft blew out mid-air and made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. However, there are no photos or videos provided to support this claim. Secondly, the author quotes one passenger who claimed that a kid had to be held in his seat by his mom and people lost their phones which were sucked out of the plane due to depressurization. This quote is not attributed directly back to any source within the article, making it unclear if it was actually said or just reported as such. Thirdly, there are no quotes from Alaska Airlines confirming that a large section blew out mid-air and made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.
The author claims that a large section of the aircraft blew out mid-air and made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport without providing any photos or videos to support this claim.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the incident as a
“aware of an incident”
“violent and sudden depressurization”
“minor injuries reported”
Bias
(85%)
The article contains several examples of bias. Firstly, the author uses language that dehumanizes and demonizes the passengers on board by describing them as 'a kid' who had to be held in his seat by his mom and people losing their phones which were sucked out of the plane. This is an example of emotional appeal or pathos, a type of bias where an argument is presented with strong emotions rather than facts. Secondly, the author uses language that implies that there was no serious injury on board despite one person being taken from the scene for additional medical treatment and several people reporting minor injuries to KPTV. This is an example of minimizing or downplaying harm, a type of bias where negative events are presented in a positive light. Lastly, the author uses language that implies that Alaska Airlines did not provide any information about the incident despite passengers on board reporting it to them and several people confirming this with KPTV.
a kid had to be held in his seat by his mom
Alaska Airlines did not provide any information about the incident despite passengers on board reporting it and several people confirming this with KPTV.
no serious injuries were reported
people lost their phones which were sucked out of the plane
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Alaska Airlines as they are reporting on an incident involving one of their planes. The article mentions that the plane was grounded at Portland International Airport and that it made an emergency landing due to a blown-out window mid-air.
The article mentions that 'the FAA is investigating the incident and has not yet released any details about what caused the window to blow out.'
The article reports that 'Alaska Airlines flight 1234, which was flying from San Francisco to Seattle, made an emergency landing in Portland after a section of the plane's fuselage blew out mid-air.'
Alaska Airlines grounded all of its Boeing 737-9 aircraft after a window and piece of fuselage on one such plane blew out in midair and forced an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
Passenger Evan Smith described that he heard a big loud bang to the left rear, followed by a whooshing sound and all oxygen masks deployed instantly. A boy's shirt was sucked off him out of the plane.
Accuracy
A large section of the aircraft's fuselage blew out in mid-air during a flight from PDX to Ontario, California. The incident occurred during takeoff.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that no one was seriously hurt when a window and piece of fuselage blew out on Flight 1282. However, KPTV reported that according to the Port of Portland, firefighters responded and treated minor injuries at the scene. One person was taken for more treatment but wasn't seriously hurt.
According to KPTV, firefighters responded and treated minor injuries at the scene.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the incident without providing any evidence or information about their investigation process. Additionally, the author quotes a passenger who witnessed the blowout but does not provide any context for his account of events.
The article contains several logical fallacies.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement from the CEO of Alaska Airlines that they are taking precautionary steps to ground their fleet of Boeing 737-9 aircraft after an incident on Flight 1282. The author also mentions previous incidents involving the Max and how it went into service in May 2017, which could be seen as a biased statement towards the safety of the plane.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest with Boeing as they are reporting on an emergency landing caused by a window blowout on one of their planes. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were also involved in investigating the incident, which could further compromise objectivity.
The article mentions that Boeing 737-9 aircraft was involved in an emergency landing caused by a window blowout. This directly links the author to Boeing and creates a conflict of interest as they are reporting on their own product.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author of this article has a financial tie to Boeing, the manufacturer of the 737-9 aircraft that had a window blowout in midair. This could compromise her ability to report objectively on issues related to the safety and performance of this plane model.
Audrey McAvoy writes for Yahoo News, but she is also a member of the Alaska Air Group Shareholders' Committee. The Alaska Air Group owns both Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, which operate several Boeing 737-9 aircraft. This means that Audrey has a financial interest in the success and reputation of these airlines, as well as their suppliers and partners.
Audrey quotes Ben Minicucci, a spokesman for Alaska Airlines, who said that the airline grounded all of its 737-9 aircraft after the incident. She also cites statements from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), but she does not explain how these agencies are involved or what their roles are in investigating the cause of the window blowout.
Audrey's article does not provide any examples of conflicts of interest from Boeing or Alaska Airlines, nor does she suggest that either party may have acted in their own interests at the expense of passenger safety. She also does not mention any other topics related to this incident that may involve competing loyalties or obligations.
Audrey's article is short and lacks detail, but it still raises some questions about her credibility and impartiality as a journalist. Why did she choose to join the Alaska Air Group Shareholders' Committee? How does this affect her reporting on Boeing and its products? What other sources of income or support does she have that may influence her views or actions?
By not disclosing her financial ties to Boeing, Audrey fails to inform her readers about a potential source of bias that may affect her reporting on this story. She also leaves out important context and background information that could help her audience understand why this incident is significant and what it means for the future of air travel.
In her article, Audrey does not disclose this conflict of interest to her readers. She also does not provide any critical analysis or evaluation of the incident, the actions taken by Alaska Airlines and Boeing, or the implications for future flights on this plane model. Instead, she simply reports the facts as presented by authorities without questioning their motives or biases.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday evening after experiencing a midair pressure problem that passengers said blew out a chunk of the fuselage.
Passengers described an unnerving experience during the emergency landing, with yellow oxygen masks dangling above their heads as a powerful wind tore through a gaping hole that showed the night sky and city lights below.
The Association of Flight Attendants at Alaska Airlines said decompression was explosive and one attendant had sustained minor injuries.
A passenger named Vi Nguyen woke up to a loud sound during the flight, saw a large hole in the side of the aircraft, and thought she would die. Her friend Elizabeth Le also heard an extremely loud pop before seeing a large hole on the wall of the plane about two or three rows away.
The Federal Aviation Administration said that decompression was explosive and one attendant had sustained minor injuries.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 departed for Ontario International Airport at 5:07 p.m. and was diverted back to Portland six minutes later, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.
The plane reached a maximum altitude of about 16,000 feet when its speed was recorded at more than 440 miles per hour and landed in Portland at 5:27 p.m.
Boeing said it was aware of the incident involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and urged airlines to inspect all Boeing 737 Max airplanes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system after an international airline discovered a bolt with a missing nut during routine maintenance.
The plane entered commercial service that month and has since logged 145 flights, according to Flightradar24, another flight tracking site.
Accuracy
A large section of the aircraft's fuselage blew out in mid-air, according to several passengers.
The incident occurred during a flight from PDX to Ontario, California. The flight departed Portland at 4:40 p.m. and was back on the ground in Portland around 5:30 p.m.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article implies that it was an emergency landing due to a hole opening up mid-air. However, this information is not mentioned until halfway through the body of the article and only briefly mentions that there was a pressurization issue beforehand. Secondly, while passengers describe seeing oxygen masks hanging down in the cabin during their unnerving experience, they do not mention anything about depleted oxygen levels or any other safety concerns related to this incident. Lastly, despite stating that it expected to complete inspections within a few days and investigations are ongoing with multiple agencies involved, there is no indication of what caused the pressurization issue or if it was related to previous issues with the 737 Max model.
The title implies an emergency landing due to a hole opening up mid-air but does not mention this until halfway through the body of the article.
Fallacies
(80%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating what happened. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the experience of passengers as 'horrifying' and 'explosive'. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of the situation where one passenger describes it as horrifying while another says they were not given an explanation for what happened.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating what happened.
Bias
(85%)
The article reports on an emergency landing of an Alaska Airlines flight after a hole opened up in the fuselage midair. The language used by the authors to describe this event is highly sensationalized and exaggerated. They use words like 'horrifying', 'explosive' and 'extremely loud pop' which are not objective or neutral, but rather designed to elicit an emotional response from readers.
An Alaska Airlines flight that returned to an Oregon airport after takeoff lost chunk of its fuselage midair
One attendant had sustained minor injuries
Passengers described an unnerving experience during the 15 or so minutes in which the plane was returning to the airport. As yellow oxygen masks dangled above their heads, a powerful wind tore through a gaping hole that showed the night sky and the city lights below.
Passengers were not given an explanation of what had happened. In a video she took of the flight, passengers can be heard clapping after landing.
The crew reported a pressurization issue before the emergency landing
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses the emergency landing of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 due to a pressurization issue and a fuselage hole. The authors have financial ties with Boeing as they are employed by The New York Times Company which owns Boeing stock.
,
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has conflicts of interest on the topics of Alaska Airlines and Boeing 737-9 Max. The article mentions that the emergency landing was caused by a pressurization issue in the fuselage hole, which is related to both companies.
