Alaska Airlines blowout: Passenger says ordeal was ‘jarring and disorienting’

A passenger on board the plane where part of the fuselage blew off in mid-air has said the experience was “jarring” and “disorienting”.

Nicholas Hoch said he heard a “big boom” after a hole was ripped in the side of the Boeing 737-9 MAX jet, and each minute felt like an hour.

“That was followed instantaneously by a rapid depressurisation of the cabin that consisted of moisture and fluid – almost like a cloud rushing from the front of the plane to the back,” he told Sky News.

“My head was on a swivel looking around the entire time trying to figure out what was happening – and what kind of danger we were in.”

Mr Hoch said the general atmosphere on board was odd, and the passengers around him were “mostly calm”.

He added: “When you’re in that situation there’s not really a lot you can do but hang on… there were a few people that were visibly and vocally upset.

“A few people stood up on the flight and were yelling some obscenities – shouting ‘there’s an f****** hole… people deal with these situations in different ways.”

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