As Sean Bates went for a Sunday walk in Oregon, he was keeping an eye out for the door plug from Alaska Airlines flight 1282.
The National Transportation Safety Board had asked the public for help locating the plug, which fell out of the Boeing 737 Max 9 moments after it took off from Portland International Airport on Friday night.
Bates had been scanning for the plug or other debris and as he walked along Barnes Road in Portland. But instead of the door plug, he found something that belonged to a passenger, he said.
“I found a phone sitting on the side of the road that had apparently fallen 16,000 feet,” Bates said in a video recorded for social media Sunday.
Sean Bates, right, is seen with a National Transportation Safety Board staffer in Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024.
Sean Bates
The phone Bates found under a roadside bush was fairly clean, he said. He noted that there were no scratches on it when he picked it up.
He said he was “a little skeptical” when he first found it, thinking perhaps it may have been tossed out of a passing vehicle. But the phone wasn’t locked, so he opened it up, he said.
“It was in airplane mode with a travel confirmation and baggage claim for Alaska 1282,” Bates said. “So, I had to go call the NTSB.”
A phone that fell from Alaska Airlines flight 1282 is seen in Portlan, Oregon, on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in a photo taken by Sean Bates.
Sean Bates
Bates said an NTSB staffer told him is was the second passenger phone found from the flight. The NTSB confirmed the incident.
The door plug was found by a teacher in their backyard Sunday, the NTSB said later. The organization said it plans to retrieve it.
Six crew members and 171 passengers were on board Flight 1282 bound for Ontario, California, the airline said. The plane landed safely after the in-flight emergency.
“The safety of our guests and employees is always our primary priority,” Alaska said in a statement, “so while this type of occurrence is rare, our flight crew was trained and prepared to safely manage the situation.”
ABC News’ Amanda Maile, Sam Sweeney and Kevin Shalvey contributed to this story.
JAMM AQUINO/JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
The tails of Alaska Airlines, left, and Hawaiian Airlines aircraft are seen at the gates at Kahului International Airport, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Kahului, Hawaii.
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Veterans Day is a national holiday that encourages communities to stop and thank those who served in the armed forces.
About 8% of Alaskans are veterans, a higher concentration than in any other state, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
While some of the bigger Veterans Day events at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Fairbanks were canceled this year, there are still plenty of events to attend to throughout the state.
The Municipality of Anchorage will be hosting a Veterans Day ceremony at Merrill Field at the 11th Air Force Memorial at 10 a.m. Tuesday morning. Invited guests include Mayor Suzanne LaFrance, Alaska Territorial Guard, Canadian Arctic Members and local military and community leaders.
In Wasilla, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Chapter 43-3 will host at the Veterans Wall of Honor, 801 N Fishhook Road, at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Over in Palmer, the Matanuska-Susitna College will be doing a tribute to veterans at the Glen Massay Theater at 2 p.m. There will be a special presentation by Battle Dawgs, a POW/MIA Ceremony, and the guest of honor will be retired Sgt. Tom Spangler. Refreshments will be served after the ceremony.
Arctic Light Elementary School on Fort Wainwright will host its Veterans Day Assembly from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the school gym. Guests are welcome to enter through the gym doors starting at 8:15 a.m.
In Fairbanks, the Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs will host a BBQ luncheon and a Marine Corps Birthday Cake Cutting Ceremony. The open house luncheon will start at noon at 751 Old Richardson Highway.
There will also be a Veterans Day Town Hall at the 8 Star Events Center with members of the Interior Delegation to listen to the concerns veterans may have and to learn more about the veteran community. The town hall will begin at 5 p.m.
Interior Alaska American Legion Post 99 will continue its partnership with the Eielson Air Force Base Honor Guard and the North Pole High School JRTOC to host a flag retirement ceremony on Veterans Day. The ceremony will take place at the Alaska Rangers Camp at 5 p.m.
Down south in Homer, the annual Veterans Day Parade will begin at 11:11 a.m. Tuesday at the Homer Emblem Club Veterans’ Memorial at the corner of Lake Street and Pioneer. The parade will conclude with a ceremony at the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center. Veterans are then invited to enjoy a complimentary meal from the Homer Elks Lodge #2127.
Seward Public Schools will be hosting a program at Seward High School from 12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be served, and there will also be performances from the Band and Choir.
In Juneau, the Southeast Alaska Native Veterans will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony and Luncheon at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall at 11 a.m. The ceremony will also include a keynote address from retired Army Maj. Gen. Richard Mustion.
In Ketchikan, American Legion Post 3 will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony at 631 Park Avenue around 9:30 a.m. The ceremonies will conclude around noon with the presentation of 6 Quilts of Valor.
In Nome, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9569 will be organizing a Veterans Day Parade. The parade will start at 11 a.m. and will begin at the Post Office, and will end at St. Joe’s Park. The community is encouraged to come out.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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