Alaska
What to know about the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet that suffered a blowout
NEW YORK — An emergency landing by an Alaska Airlines jetliner has prompted U.S. federal authorities to ground some Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, adding another episode to the troubled history of Boeing’s Max lineup of jets.
Here is what to know about the Max 9 plane involved, and what comes next.
WHAT HAPPENED?
An Alaska Airlines jetliner blew out a portion of its fuselage seven minutes after takeoff 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) above Oregon Friday night, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing. None of the 171 passengers or six crew were seriously injured but the rapid loss of cabin pressure caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said the two seats next to the part that tore off were unoccupied.
HOW ARE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES RESPONDING?
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of some Boeing Max 9 operated by U.S. airlines or flown into the country by foreign carriers until they are inspected. The emergency order affects about 171 planes worldwide.
The NTSB has begun an investigation that is likely to last months and focus on the paneled-over exit door that blew off. The so-called door plug is installed on some jets with fewer seats instead of an emergency exit panel. The jets ordered grounded by the FAA all have those panels installed.
College students Fiona Max, left, and her twin sister Isabel Max check their phones while trying to rebook their flight back to school at Princeton after their Alaska Airlines flight was canceled at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in SeaTac, Wash. Alaska Airlines canceled more than 100 flights after grounding Boeing’s fleet of 65 Max 9s for inspections following Friday’s emergency landing of a Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner. Credit: AP/Karen Ducey
Authorities are still searching for the door plug, which likely landed near Oregon Route 217 and Barnes Road in the Cedar Hills area west of Portland.
HOW ARE AIRLINES RESPONDING?
Alaska Airlines has grounded its entire fleet of 65 Max 9s for inspections and maintenance. The airline initially kept 18 of its Max 9s in service Saturday because they had received in-depth inspections as part of recent maintenance checks. But the airline pulled those jets from service Saturday night to comply with an FAA directive for all operators of Max9s to conduct specific inspections.
United Airlines, the world’s biggest operator of Max 9s, has grounded its entire fleet of 79 Max 9s.
Alaska and United are the only two U.S. passenger airlines that operate Max 9 aircraft. The companies operate nearly two-thirds of the 215 Max 9 aircraft in service around the world, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Six other airlines use the Max 9: Panama’s Copa Airlines, Aeromexico, Turkish airlines, Icelandair, flydubai, and SCAT Airlines in Kazakhstan, according to Cirium.
Copa said it had temporarily suspended 21 Boeing 737 Max 9s to comply with the FAA’s order.
Alaska Airlines had canceled 163 flights on Sunday, or 21% of its schedule, according to Flightaware. United Airlines had canceled 247, about 9% of its scheduled flights. Not all of the cancelations were necessarily due to the Max 9 crisis.
Alaska Airlines said the groundings had resulted in at least 160 flight cancelations by Saturday evening and disruptions will last through at least mid-week. United had said Saturday evening said the inspections will result in about 60 cancelations.
Alaska Airlines has said affected passengers should go online to view rebooking options and can request a refund. The airline has said passengers whose flights are canceled will be moved the next available flight but they can also request a change or a refund without incurring fees under a flexible travel policy. United Airlines has not instituted a policy specific to the Max 9 inspections but the airline waives change fees for significant delays.
HOW SAFE IS IT TO FLY ON ONE OF THESE PLANES?
Federal officials and airline executives regularly tout the safety of air travel. There has not been a fatal crash of a U.S. airliner since 2009, when a Colgan Air plane operated for Continental crashed near Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one on the ground.
After arriving in Portland to investigate the Alaska Airlines incident, the NTSB’s Homendy said the U.S. has “the safest aviation system in the world.” However, a surge in close calls between planes at U.S. airports in the past year prompted the FAA to convene a “safety summit” last year, in which officials encouraged airlines and pilots to redouble their attention to careful flying.
The incident has also renewed questions about the safety of Boeing’s Max aircraft, which the newest version of the company’s storied 737. There are two versions of the aircraft in service: the Max 8 and the Max 9, which is the larger of the two.
Regulators around the world grounded Max 8 planes for nearly two years after a Lion Air flight crashed in Indonesia in 2018, and an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 crashed in 2019. Boeing changed an automated flight control system implicated in the crashes.
Last year, the FAA told pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system on the Max in dry conditions because of concern that inlets around the engines could overheat and break away, possibly striking the plane. And in December, Boeing told airlines to inspect the planes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system.
However, those past issues are unrelated to Friday’s blowout, which is exceedingly rare in air travel, according to Anthony Brickhouse, a professor of aerospace safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Brickhouse said fuselage panels sometimes tears off planes but he could not recall a previous incident that blew a gaping hole like the one that forced Friday’s emergency landing.
In 2018, a passenger on a Southwest Airlines jet was killed in when a piece of engine housing blew off and shattered the window she was sitting next to. However, that incident involved an earlier version of the Boeing 737, not a Max.
WHAT IS BOEING’S RESPONSE?
The company, based in Arlington, Virginia, issued a brief statement saying “we deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers.” Boeing said it supported the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections and said it was providing technical help to the investigators. The company has declined to make an executive available for interviews.
7.0 quake hits Alaska-Canada border, no casualties so far
JUNEAU, Dec 7: A powerful, magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck in a remote area near the border between Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday. There was no tsunami warning, and officials said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck about 230 miles (370 km) northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 155 miles (250 km) west of Whitehorse, Yukon. In Whitehorse, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod said the detachment received two 911 calls about the earthquake. “It definitely was felt,” MacLeod said. “There are a lot of people on social media, people felt it.” Alison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said the part of Yukon most affected by the temblor is mountainous and has few people. “Mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls,” Bird said. “It doesn’t seem like we’ve seen anything in terms of structural damage.” (AP)
Three killed as unexploded device goes off in Afghanistan
Kabul, Dec 7: Three workers were killed when an unexploded device left over from past wars went off in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, provincial police spokesman Sayed Tayeb Hamad said on Sunday. The incident occurred in a scrap shop in Kama district when workers were busy at the site on Saturday afternoon, the spokesman said, adding that three workers died on the spot due to the blast. Police have urged residents to inform security authorities if they see or come across any suspicious objects. Earlier in November, a similar incident claimed one life in the Rodat district of Nangarhar province. Post-war Afghanistan has been regarded as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, and the unexploded ordnances, which were left over from more than four decades of wars and civil unrest, often kill or maim people, mostly children, in the country. (IANS)
Man held after pepper spray incident at UK’s Heathrow Airport
London, Dec 7: A man was arrested on suspicion of assault at the Heathrow Airport on Sunday after police were called to reports of a number of people being attacked with pepper spray, with the incident causing major travel disruptions. The Metropolitan Police said the morning incident was not terrorism related and that the injuries to the victims were not thought to be “life-threatening or life changing”. The force believes the incident involved an argument between a group of people known to each other. “A number of people were sprayed with what is believed to be a form of pepper spray by a group of men who then left the scene,” the Met Police said in a statement. “Armed response officers attended and arrested one man on suspicion of assault. He remains in custody and enquiries continue to trace further suspects,” the statement said. The incident caused major disruption to flights, with the airport advising passengers to allow extra time for their journeys. (PTI)
No matter what kind of energy we produce — natural gas, hydro, wind, solar or other legacy fuels — it is only as useful as our ability to deliver it where it is needed. The electricity we consume relies on the substations and distribution lines in our neighborhoods which is in turn dependent on high-voltage transmission infrastructure — the backbone of every electric grid. Any path forward for Alaska’s energy future depends on strengthening this backbone.
The Railbelt electric transmission system stretches 700 miles from Homer to Fairbanks powering roughly 70 % of Alaskans. Built piecemeal over decades, it remains a patchwork of transmission lines operated by five separate utilities. The resulting system is akin to a string of extension cords — some sturdy, others worn — but inadequate for our current and future needs. This fragmentation drives up costs, reduces reliability, and keeps the lowest-cost power from reaching customers when it is needed most.
Case in point: The cheapest electric energy in the Railbelt is generated by the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric plant near Homer. However, because of transmission bottlenecks, that energy can’t always flow north when demand peaks, forcing utilities to use more expensive fuel. Removing these bottlenecks will give Railbelt consumers full access to Bradley Lake’s clean, low-cost power.
Alaska’s Railbelt utilities and the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) have identified a coordinated, multi-year roadmap to build a reliable, efficient and lower-cost energy backbone for the Railbelt. This plan can be implemented in stages, tackling the most urgent constraints first to deliver savings quickly. Some of this work is already underway.
The Sterling-to-Quartz Creek transmission link on the Kenai Peninsula is undergoing a major upgrade financed through AEA bonds to improve the system’s overall capacity and reliability and reduce power losses. New battery storage projects are also strengthening the grid by providing emergency backup and frequency control. These projects will pay dividends for decades.
In addition, AEA secured $206.5 million from a Department of Energy grant for the next phase of Railbelt modernization. The project will install a high-voltage direct-current submarine cable across Cook Inlet, creating redundancy and increasing capacity so utilities can better access Bradley Lake power. While these federal funds were thought to be in jeopardy in early 2025, they remain available. However, they require a dollar-for-dollar match to move forward.
As steps are taken to allow full access to Bradley Lake’s low-cost power generation, planning is also underway to supply more water to the dam’s generators via the Dixon Diversion project, which will boost power output by up to 50%. Getting more electricity out of existing infrastructure makes sense — especially if we can move that power to end users when they need it. Success with these projects will benefit rural energy users: because the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program is tied to Railbelt rates, lower cost power on the Railbelt reduces rates across Alaska.
A stronger transmission system will also provide a means for new power generation to supply the Railbelt electric market. Better transmission removes the hurdle of geography, making the entire system more efficient, flexible and affordable — for whatever new generation comes online.
Finally, stronger governance will matter as much as stronger wires. We must also continue the state and utility effort to write fair operating rules for the Railbelt’s shared transmission system to ensure that these investments deliver long-term reliability and affordability for everyone connected to the grid.
Transmission may not be flashy, but it is the foundation of everything else. If we want affordable, reliable power and a stronger economy, we must invest in the infrastructure that makes it possible. What’s needed now is clear state leadership, coordinated utility action, and the backing of Alaskans to move these projects forward.
Gene Therriault served in the Alaska state House of Representatives and Alaska Senate from 1993 to 2009, and is a senior adviser of New Energy Alaska. Subsequent roles include serving as senior energy adviser to Gov. Sean Parnell, vice president of Golden Valley Electric Association and deputy director for statewide energy policy development at the Alaska Energy Authority. He lives in Fairbanks.
Brian Hickey lives in Anchorage and has over 40 years of experience working in construction, engineering and operations in the Alaska Railbelt electric grid. Most recently, he was executive director of Railbelt Regional Coordination and led Railbelt’s joint effort to obtain the $206.5 million Department of Energy grant for AEA. He is also the general manager of Seward Electric Systems in Seward.
• • •
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High School
Hockey
Tuesday
Monroe Catholic 8, Lathrop 3
West 3, Wasilla 1
South 2, Dimond 0
Wednesday
North Pole 9, West Valley 6
Delta 6, Monroe Catholic 5
West 1, Chugiak 0
Thursday
Palmer 5, Kenai Central 2
North Pole 8, Colony 2
Friday
Palmer 6, Soldotna 0
West Valley 7, Colony 2
Juneau-Douglas 4, Kenai Central 2
Kodiak 6, Service 3
Dimond 3, Eagle River 0
Saturday
Service 4, Kodiak 3
Juneau-Douglas 8, Kenai Central 2
Palmer 14, Homer 2
Wasilla 6, Chugiak 3
• • •
Volleyball
Thursday
Nelson Island 2, SISD 0 (25-20, 25-15)
Susitna Valley 3, Metlakatla 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-14)
Martin L Olson 2, Nunamiut 1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-21)
Dillingham 3, Glennallen 1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-23)
Shaktoolik 2, Gustavus 1 (25-12, 22-25, 25-15)
Sand Point 3, Tri-Valley 0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-13)
Aniak 2, Emmonak 0 (25-15, 25-11)
Tanalian 2, Nelson Island 0 (25-15, 25-18)
Unalaska 3, Wrangell 0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-20)
Martin L Olson 2, Scammon Bay 0 (25-13, 25-14)
Susitna Valley 3, Dillingham 1 (25-9, 23-25, 25-15, 25-21)
Shaktoolik 2, Anchor Lutheran 0 (25-9, 25-17)
Kisimgiugtuq 2, Aniak 0 (28-25, 25-20)
Unalaska 3, Sand Point 0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-23)
Friday
Scammon Bay 2, Gustavus 1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-17)
Nelson Island 2, Emmonak 0 (25-23, 25-18)
Metlakatla 3, Glennallen 0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-12)
Aniak 2, SISD 0 (25-16, 25-20)
Nunamiut 2, Anchor Lutheran 0 (25-13, 25-5)
Nunamiut 2, Aniak 0 (25-22, 25-16)
Nelson Island 2, Scammon Bay 1 (25-10, 23-25, 25-0)
Wrangell 3, Tri-Valley 1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 25-10)
Tanalian 3, Martin L Olson 1 (25-13, 8-25, 25-22, 25-23)
Shaktoolik 3, Kisimgiugtuq 0 (25-14, 25-5, 25-15)
Sand Point 3, Metlakatla 0 (25-20, 25-20, 26-24)
Nelson Island 2, Kisimgiugtuq 0 (25-13, 25-10)
Martin L Olson 2, Nunamiut 1 (25-27, 25-16, 26-24)
Tanalian 3, Shaktoolik 1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-19, 25-23)
Unalaska 3, Susitna Valley 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22)
Wrangell 3, Dillingham 2 (16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 15-9)
Sand Point 3, Wrangell 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-18)
Saturday
Martin L Olson 2, Nelson Island 0 (25-16, 25-21)
Martin L Olson 2, Shaktoolik 0 (25-22, 25-21)
Susitna Valley 3, Sand Point 1 (25-17, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17)
Tanalian 3, Martin L Olson 1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-22, 28-26)
Unalaska vs. Susitna Valley (Late)
• • •
Wrestling
Tuesday
Dimond 55, Bartlett 47
Boys – 145: Prince Bonilla (5-15), Dimond over Benjamin Fudge (13-14), Bartlett (F 3:48)
Boys – 135: Taven Carbaugh (12-13), Dimond over Aurelius Atwood (4-12), Bartlett (F 5:51)
Boys – 119: Yeng Lao (17-6), Bartlett over Joshawa McCorkle (3-22), Dimond (TF 19-3 (3:03)
Boys – 285: Denver Spencer (17-11), Bartlett over Juan Hernandez (0-0), Dimond (F 1:26)
Boys – 215: Jayce Casarez (10-4), Bartlett over Creed Cvancara (12-5), Dimond (F 3:30)
Boys – 189: Donald Goss (0-4), Bartlett over Tristan Mason (5-23), Dimond (F 4:21)
Boys – 171: Everett Monteil (6-7), Dimond over Alton Drones (4-6), Bartlett (TF 18-1 (4:33)
Boys – 160: Yaroslav Ustymenko (16-16), Dimond over Jonny Larsen (6-6), Bartlett (SV 7-4)
Boys – 152: Keller Jackson (18-6), Dimond over Isiah Anaruk (16-10), Bartlett (F 5:12)
Girls – 126: Nyah O`Neil (17-5), Dimond over Teresa Vicens (8-6), Bartlett (TF 17-2 (3:48)
Girls – 100: Kaylee Kofford (22-6), Bartlett over Aoife Stout (13-7), Dimond (F 3:56)
Chugiak 62, Eagle River 46
Boys – 135: Lukas Nuxall (7-5), Chugiak over Izzak Alonzo (7-18), Eagle River (F 3:59)
Boys – 130: Jacob Driscoll (23-10), Eagle River over Briar Otts (4-8), Chugiak (F 0:56)
Boys – 119: Archer Hicks (17-12), Chugiak over Wyatt Zeiler (14-8), Eagle River (MD 9-1)
Boys – 112: Oliver Dunlavey (13-13), Chugiak over Aiden Smith (7-6), Eagle River (F 0:44)
Boys – 103: Tanner Bailey (16-11), Chugiak over Grant Brunner (14-12), Eagle River (Dec 11-4)
Boys – 215: Braden Ott (16-5), Eagle River over Oliver Stoltze (6-6), Chugiak (F 2:42)
Boys – 189: Bryson Diola (16-1), Eagle River over Morgan Robinson (4-3), Chugiak (F 5:02)
Boys – 171: Elias Rimbert (20-6), Chugiak over Gavin Wiess (27-10), Eagle River (MD 17-5)
Boys – 160: Richard Dunlavey (21-8), Chugiak over Vern Stott (5-11), Eagle River (F 2:34)
Boys – 152: Kamdon Marchant (13-8), Chugiak over Caleb Driscoll (24-15), Eagle River (Dec 9-5)
Boys – 145: Michael Roschi (16-0), Eagle River over Mason Scow (9-12), Chugiak (F 1:46)
Boys – 140: August Rogers (16-17), Eagle River over Brock Baker (2-9), Chugiak (F 4:46)
Girls – 126: Sabreena Otts (29-8), Chugiak over Cheyenne Bobo (0-0), Eagle River (F 2:36)
Girls – 114: Talia Jenkins (22-5), Chugiak over Lillian Dwyer (17-18), Eagle River (F 3:06)
Girls – 107: Rylee Ruggles (17-6), Chugiak over Violet Roschi (29-9), Eagle River (F 5:44)
Girls – 152: Lily Boze (13-10), Eagle River over Ereale Campbell (15-17), Chugiak (Dec 6-0)
South 122, Service 24
Boys – 189: Bohdan Porter (25-4), South over Lucas Witwer (13-17), Service (F 2:00)
Boys – 152: Shane Ostermiller (19-2), South over Lucas Gross (0-1), Service (F 1:25)
Boys – 140: Benson Mishler (21-2), South over Braiden Sanchez (15-9), Service (MD 19-6)
Boys – 135: Shaw Gerondale (20-4), South over Mason Childress (8-10), Service (F 1:36)
Boys – 130: Dylan Frawner (19-6), South over Urijah Eppelsheimer (10-6), Service (TF 16-0 (2:38)
Girls – 152: Savannah Stout (27-2), South over Julie Ishnook (17-13), Service (TF 20-3 (2:21)
Girls – 114: Julia Dunlap (32-6), South over Scarlett Easton (28-12), Service (Dec 8-5)
Girls – 100: Ava Rogers (11-9), South over Rebekah Ellsworth (5-11), Service (Dec 8-1)
West 75, Bettye Davis East 53
Boys – 285: Matt Manumalealii (0-0), West over Jerome Keil-Mano (5-2), East (F 3:29)
Boys – 215: Aiden Luzano (2-8), West over Scottie Saechao (1-0), East (F 0:58)
Boys – 189: Ezekiel Alabado (2-4), East over Declan Gee (7-12), West (Dec 6-4)
Boys – 171: Ryder Thomas (11-7), West over Kalek Donnelly (8-5), East (F 1:00)
Boys – 160: Lucas Starck (15-4), West over Julian Ferreira (7-8), East (F 2:00)
Boys – 152: Liam Ferreira (6-7), East over Chris Espina (4-12), West (Dec 11-8)
Boys – 145: Damien Ambrose (14-9), West over Levi Hanks (2-2), East (F 3:33)
Boys – 140: Ramon armenta (6-3), East over Gage Williams (3-9), West (F 3:56)
Boys – 135: Mason Rhude (7-12), West over Warren Smallwood (4-1), East (SV 13-10)
Boys – 119: Jerriel Medina-Salazar (3-3), West over Eranda Dissanayake (1-0), East (F 4:35)
Boys – 112: Colter Campbell (13-1), East over Juan Rojas Arismendy (11-3), West (TF 19-2 (2:13)
Girls – 165: Kenya-Marie Bruno (17-2), East over Laura Souza (1-4), West (F 0:49)
Girls – 145: Bridey Lee Piscoya (6-10), West over Victoria Orozco (6-4), East (F 3:36)
Girls – 132: Lily Oldham (18-7), West over Aniyah Smalley (5-5), East (F 1:51)
Girls – 120: Ivy Shanklin (3-9), West over Molly Antijunti (0-1), East (F 5:13)
• • •
College
Volleyball
Thursday
UAF 3, UAA 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-15)
Friday
Point Loma 3, UAF 1 (25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-18)
• • •
Women’s basketball
Thursday
Western Oregon 82, UAF 24
Saint Martin’s 69, UAA 60
Saturday
Saint Martin’s 74, UAF 37
Western Oregon 77, UAA 69
• • •
Men’s basketball
Thursday
Saint Martin’s 78, UAA 63
UAF 80, Western Oregon 70
Saturday
Saint Martin’s 66, UAF 56
UAA 64, Western Oregon 56
• • •
Hockey
Friday
Stonehill 3, UAA 2
Saturday
UAA vs. Stonehill (Late)
UAF vs. Grand Canyon (Late)
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