A PASSENGER on board of the Alaska Airlines flight has revealed the terrifying moment its door was ripped out mid-air.
Nicholas Hoch said horrified passengers screamed “there’s a f*****g hole” amid the chaos.
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More than 170 Boeing planes have been temporarily grounded since the incident as US regulators say immediate inspections are needed.
The Alaska Airlines flight left Portland, Oregon for Ontario, California at 4:40 pm on Friday and was shortly plunged into chaos.
Stunned passengers described seeing a large section of the plane blown out mid-air with dramatic pictures of the aftermath showing a gaping hole in its side.
One passenger told Fox News affiliate KPTV that a child had to be held in his seat by his mom as people lost their phones, which were sucked out of the plane.
Hoch, who sat ten rows ahead of the hole, heard a “big boom” before oxygen masks dropped instantly in front of him.
“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.
The flight attendants were quick to respond, shouting “get your masks on” through the intercom system and instructing the passengers to fasten their seatbelts.
The whole catastrophic event lasted about 20-30 minutes, but felt like hours, recalled the distressed passenger.
He added: “A few people stood up on the flight and were yelling some obscenities – shouting ‘there’s an effing hole’.”
But while the plane “fluttered” and the lights “flickered”, the frightened passengers were left in the dark about the impending emergency landing.
Hoch said other people around him were “mostly calm” but the whole atmosphere on board felt “eerie”.
His hat flew off his head, while the people in front of him had their hair “pushed back”.
“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,” he added.
One scared passenger revealed the text she sent to her family on board the plane after the door blew out.
Emma Vu, who escaped the incident safely along with the other passengers, shared her experience online.
“In the moment I was so scared,” she said on TikTok.
The text message sent to her family read: “The masks r down; I am so scared right now; Please pray for me; Please I don’t want to die.”
The flight had been delayed by 20 minutes, but things took a turn for the worse five minutes after take-off.
Hoch complimented the pilot who did a “good job” and addressed the flight once the plane had landed, but added that they were left “standing for hours”, unaware of their next move.
He said it felt like being a “fish out of water”, but he boarded another flight that same night – and he is set to catch a “long flight” later this week.
The Alaska Airline has issued an apology and compensation to the affected passengers, but Hoch said his luggage still remains missing.
The airline’s CEO, Ben Minicucci, said: “I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.
“We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting passengers and are working to support guests who are travelling in the next few days.”
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for immediate inspections.
The UK’s aviation and aerospace regulator also issued a statement following the FAA’s announcement.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority wrote on X on Saturday night: “Following @FAANews’ EAD, we can confirm there are no UK-registered 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The impact on UK operated aircraft and consumers is minimal.
“We have written to non-UK and foreign permit carriers to ask inspections have been undertaken prior to operation in UK airspace.”
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