Alaska Airlines responds to recent open cargo door incident
Alaska Airlines, based in Seattle, USA, is at the centre of a scandal after an incident with the baggage compartment of one of its aircraft. On March 1, a Boeing 737-900ER flying from Los Cabos to Portland landed with the cargo door partially open.
This was discovered after the plane landed at Portland International Airport (PDX). The photos show that the door is not adjacent to the fuselage, and light from the cargo compartment is leaking through it, KOIN News reports.
It is not yet known how long the door remained open. However, according to media reports, there could have been animals in the cargo hold during the flight.
Despite the seriousness of the incident, the plane was not making an emergency landing and the crew was not aware of the unsealed door. According to Alaska Airlines, the door probably opened due to pressure after landing.
The airline performed maintenance, replaced the spring in the door handle, and put it back into service.
The incident has raised concerns in the aviation community. Joe Schwieterman, an aviation expert, called the faulty door a "pretty serious defect" that should have shown up on a sensor to warn the crew.
"After Alaska Flight 1437 landed at PDX on March 1, it was discovered that the forward cargo hold door was unsealed. The crew received no indication that the door had been opened during the flight, and all indications are that the door was partially opened only after landing," the company said in a statement published by Simple Flying.
Earlier, TravelWise wrote about 5 things to know about Alaska Airlines' First Class.