Missing bolts, fumes, an off-duty pilot facing charges: 5 months of questions for Alaska Airlines

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Alaska Airlines is once again making headlines after a flight arrived at Portland International Airport with its cargo door slightly ajar on Thursday, but this certainly isn’t the first time the airline has faced criticism for customer safety.

Within the past year, its planes have been associated with a missing door plug incident that caused a door to detach mid-flight, an off-duty pilot accused of stalling plane engines mid-flight, and in-cabin fumes forcing a plane to re-route.

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With one incident after another, it can be difficult to keep track of what – and when – events took place. The following timeline lists these events as they happened, starting with the incident involving an off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot in October 2023.

Alaska Airlines Timeline

October 2023

An Alaska Airlines flight was rerouted to PDX after an off-duty pilot allegedly shut off the plane’s engines mid-flight while traveling from Everett, Wash. to San Francisco.

The now-ex pilot, 44-year-old Joseph David Emerson, had been riding in the flight deck jumpseat – not piloting the plane – when the incident happened on Oct. 22, 2023.

Emerson is accused of pulling down the aircraft’s red fire handles that activate a fire suppression system, effectively shutting off the plane’s fuel supply. Flight attendants say he also attempted to open an emergency exit door while in handcuffs.

The pilot who flew the aircraft told authorities “there was zero indication of anything wrong” at the beginning of the flight until Emerson threw his headset across the cockpit and said “I’m not OK.”

According to a court affidavit, one on-duty pilot grabbed Emerson’s wrist to stop him as a second pilot declared an in-flight emergency. Authorities estimated that Emerson had resisted for about 90 seconds before leaving the cockpit.

Court documents allege Emerson told flight attendants that he had just been kicked out of the flight deck as he walked to the back of the plane. The documents also report that he told the flight crew, “You need to cuff me right now, or it’s going to be bad.”

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After the incident, police officers reported that Emerson hadn’t slept in 40 hours and was having a nervous breakdown at the time of the flight. According to officials, the pilot said he began feeling depressed six months prior and had used psychedelic mushrooms for the first time 48 hours prior to getting on the plane.

Emerson first faced 167 charges related to the incident, including 83 counts of aggravated attempted murder. However, a Multnomah County jury decided not to charge Emerson with attempted murder – instead charging him with 83 counts of recklessly endangering an aircraft.

In December 2023, Emerson was released from custody to return to his home in California until his trial date with the following restrictions: He cannot possess or use any controlled substance, including alcohol; he must submit to drug tests; he cannot be within 30 feet of any operable aircraft; and he must participate in mental health counseling.

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January 2024

Another Alaska Airlines returned to PDX within a half hour of departing from the airport after a door plug blew off the plane, which had apparently been missing the bolts necessary to keep the door in place.

Flight 1282 headed to Ontario, Calif. had taken off around 5 p.m. but “quickly turned around” after reaching an altitude of 16,000 feet on Jan 5, 2024. Airline officials originally cited a “pressurization issue.”

Passenger Elizabeth Le told KOIN 6 said a mom and her teenage son had been sitting in the aisle seats at the time, adding that the mother saved her son from getting pulled out of the plane.

“I looked up and saw that the son’s shirt was completely off and his skin was very red, most likely due to the cold air,” Le said. “I heard after from the son’s friend that the mom had to drag him back into the plane after the piece flew off.”

The door was discovered the next day on Barnes Road near Highway 217 in the Cedar Hills neighborhood. Officials reported that the headrests were missing from seats 25A and 26A, and investigators found some clothing in the area.

Some are now suing Boeing and Alaska, claiming the flight caused them trauma and injury.

After the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a temporary grounding of all 737 Max 9 aircrafts for an inspection. The planes have since made their way back into transit.

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A month later, a report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found that four bolts meant to hold the door plug in place were missing when the plane took off. These bolts exist to prevent the door plug from sliding up from the frame when pressurization changes in the cabin mid-flight.

Boeing has since faced heavy criticism for the incident. On Feb 21, Ed Clark, once the head of Boeing’s 737 Max program, was ousted from his role. Two weeks later, Washington state Sen. Maria Cantwell accused Boeing of “stonewalling” an ongoing federal investigation.

Boeing has until Friday, March 8 to respond.

March 2024

Two incidents involving Alaska Airlines have taken place at PDX in March, including one flight that passengers say smelled like fumes and another with a slightly ajar cargo door.

On Wednesday, a Phoenix-bound Alaska Airlines flight returned to PDX after multiple people reported smelling fumes in the cabin.

Fire crews from the Port of Portland and Portland Fire and Rescue responded to investigate the cause of the smell, but were unable to identify a cause, officials say.

Seven people – including passengers and crew members – requested medical evaluation, but no one was taken to the hospital, according to the Port of Portland.

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In a statement to KOIN 6, Alaska Airlines said “the aircraft in question is being inspected by our maintenance team. We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience.”

KOIN 6 then received reports that Alaska Airlines Flight 1437 from Los Cabos, Mexico arrived at PDX with what appeared to be an incorrectly sealed cargo door, according to photos of the plane earlier this month.

It’s unclear how long the Boeing 737 door was open, but sources say passengers’ pets were inside and lived. It is not clear whether the circumstances could have put the flight at risk, but a source told KOIN 6 the flight did not require an emergency landing.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Alaska Airlines said “there was no indication to the crew that the door was unsealed during flight and all indications point to the door partially opening after landing. Our maintenance teams inspected the aircraft, replaced a spring in the door, tested the door and reentered it into service.”

Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.

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