Alaska

Alaska faces claim of prior ‘whistling sound’ near plug door

Published

2 years ago

February 8, 2024

Alaska faces claim of prior ‘whistling sound’ near plug door

A lawyer representing 22 people onboard the Alaska Airlines flight that suffered a rapid decompression on January 5, 2024, has alleged in a lawsuit that passengers previously flying on the same Boeing 737 MAX 9, registered N704AL, reported hearing a “whistling sound” coming from the “vicinity” of the door plug.

On February 7, 2024, Mark Lindquist, amended a previous lawsuit he filed alleging emotional and physical injuries to passengers, including severe stress, anxiety, trauma, and hearing damage, to include new accusations against both Alaska and Boeing.

“There was a whistling sound coming from the vicinity of the door plug on a previous flight of the subject plane,” the claim read. “Passengers apparently noticed the whistling sound and brought it to the attention of flight attendants who reportedly informed the pilot or first officer.”

According to a statement from Lindquist, no known further action was taken “after the pilot checked cockpit instruments, which purportedly read normal”.

Linquist also cited the cockpit door that flung open during the rapid cabin depressurization, a design feature that the Alaska pilots were unaware of.

“The resulting shock, noise, and communication difficulties contributed to a lack of proper communication between the flight crew and passengers, thereby intensifying confusion and stress,” according to the lawsuit.

Linquist claimed Boeing should have fixed their quality control issues following the two fatal 737-8 crashes in 2018 and 2019.

On February 6, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published its preliminary investigation report indicating four bolts to hold the mid-exit plug door in place were missing.

On January 5, 2024, Alaska Airlines flight 1282 took off from Portland International Airport (PIA), but as it approached 16,000 feet (about 5 kilometers), a plug door on the left-hand side of the fuselage separated from the aircraft.

“This plane was a ticking bomb,” Lindquist said. “A blowout could have happened at a cruising altitude where it would have been catastrophic.”

AeroTime has contacted Alaska Airlines and Boeing for comment.

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Alaska

‘Alaska is a dangerous place’: How Whittier Harbor stays safe during the winter

Published

2 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

‘Alaska is a dangerous place’: How Whittier Harbor stays safe during the winter

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Winter season brings its risks in harbors across Alaska – including sinking boats, ice, and wind.

“Alaska is a dangerous place,” David Borg, Whittier Harbor Master said. “Here we have massive amount of wind and coming down here in the wintertime with icy docks and a lot of wind, it’s very easy for people to lose their footing.”

Borg also talked about something called SAD – which stand for ‘Sunk At Dock’.

“Boat sinking at the dock. We do have an issue with snow load here,” Borg said. “Best thing people can do … is that if you have a boat in the harbor, you have to have somebody local that can keep an eye on it.”

At Whittier Harbor, safety holds importance all year round.

“If I can make it a little bit safer here in the harbor – so you and your family can go out and boat and do those things that Alaska has to offer safely – then I’d like to try to push that message as best I can,” Borg said

Borg urges anyone who visits Alaska harbors in the winter to know the conditions, gear up properly, and always put safety first.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

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Alaska

Alaska Airlines launches new nonstop Seattle-to-London flight starting in 2026

Published

14 hours ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Alaska Airlines launches new nonstop Seattle-to-London flight starting in 2026

Alaska Airlines announced its newest nonstop flight out of Seattle: a straight shot to London.

Starting in May 2026, the nonstop flight will travel from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Heathrow Airport, the largest international airport in the United Kingdom. The airport resides in Hounslow, located an hour outside of London.

The daily service will operate on Alaska Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner.

London is Alaska Airlines’ fifth intercontinental destination, alongside Rome, Reykjavik, Tokyo, and Seoul. According to the airline, the new route strengthens business ties, with London being the largest corporate market from Seattle.

“By 2030, we plan to serve at least 12 intercontinental destinations from Seattle, with additional routes to be announced in the years to come,” Alaska Airlines stated. “We currently have four Boeing 787-9s in our fleet, with a fifth aircraft recently delivered.”

Guests traveling from the U.S. can now purchase airfares to London for as low as $699 round-trip at alaskaair.com.

Alaska Airlines hit hard by federal shutdown

According to aviation analysts, the federal shutdown cost Alaska Airlines millions of dollars. The airline’s fourth-quarter income is expected to fall by $32 million.

The company told investors it lost 15 cents per share. Flight cancellations at SEA and other airports lasted 43 days.

According to The Puget Sound Business Journal, Delta reports a $200 million hit. United, JetBlue, and Southwest could see losses, too.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.

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Alaska

Warnings continue for wind, snow, and extreme cold across Alaska

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Warnings continue for wind, snow, and extreme cold across Alaska

ANCHORAGE, AK (Alaska’s News Source) – Extreme wind has been non-stop for more than 60 hours in Wasilla in Palmer, where peak wind gusts have reached over 80 mph three days in a row.

Peak winds have been over 80 mph for the last three days in Palmer.(Melissa Frey)

Wind gusts at the Palmer Airport climbed over 50 mph Friday evening and didn’t drop below until late Monday evening.

Peak winds have been over 50 mph for more than 60 hours.(Melissa Frey)

The High Wind Warning for the Matanuska Valley will continue through 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Calmer conditions are likely on Tuesday afternoon as the winds relax across the area.

High Wind Warnings continue in the Mat-Su.(Melissa Frey)

Send us your weather photos and videos here!

The rest of Southcentral remains clear and dry, with temperatures likely dropping to the lowest levels of the season starting Tuesday morning. This pattern will continue through the end of the week.

Download the free Alaska’s News Source Weather App for the latest forecast in your area.

In Southeast, Winter Storm Warnings are still in effect near Ketchikan for up to 8″ of additional snow through Tuesday. Winter Weather Advisories are also in effect near Hyder for an additional 9-12″ of snow on Tuesday.

The snow has ended across the northern areas of Southeast, but extreme cold is setting in. Wind Chill values will reach as low as -50° near Skagway, to -25° near Haines, and to -15° near Juneau.

The Copper River Basin will also experience extreme wind chill values to -50° through Tuesday afternoon.

In the Interior, temperatures dropped to -30° for the first time Monday morning, and we’ll see several nights at that cold level this week.

24/7 Alaska Weather: Get access to live radar, satellite, weather cameras, current conditions, and the latest weather forecast here. Also available through the Alaska’s News Source streaming app available on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

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