So began the harrowing minutes aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, when a door-sized section near the rear of the plane blew off 10 minutes after it took off from Portland, Ore., on Friday night, leaving some passengers initially confused, and others utterly terrified.
“The first thing I thought was, ‘I’m going to die,’” said Vi Nguyen, 22, a passenger from Portland.
Nicholas Hoch, 33, was sitting in 12A, a window seat near the front of the Boeing 737 Max 9.
There was something wrong on the plane, he told them, adding, “I love you guys.”The flight, carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, began in ordinary fashion.
Headed for Ontario, Calif., it was initially delayed by about 20 minutes to allow for de-icing, said Mr. Hoch, an architect, who was flying to visit his girlfriend’s family.
Persons:
“, ‘ I’m, ’ ”, Vi Nguyen, Nicholas Hoch, Hoch
Organizations:
Alaska, Boeing
Locations:
Portland ,, Portland, Ontario, Calif