Door plug, cell phones from Alaska Air 1282 found

Tim Steele
·2 min read
5

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Portland school teacher named Bob found the door plug that blew off an Alaska Airlines flight and landed in his backyard, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Sunday night.

“The door plug was found,” she said.

The NTSB on Saturday said the door that blew off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was likely around Barnes Road near Hwy 217 and the Cedar Hills neighborhood.

She said Bob — whose last name she declined to provide — took a picture of the door plug in his back yard and emailed it to witness@ntsb.gov.

“Thank you, Bob,” she said, and only identified him as “a school teacher in Portland.”

The door plug is yellowish green on one side, white on the other, is 26×48 and weighs 63 pounds.

Earlier she said 2 cell phones were found, one in a backyard and one along the side of the road. One of the cell phones was in airplane mode and open to an Alaska Air baggage claim for Flight 1282.

Sean Bates found one of 2 cell phones that flew out of an Alaska Air jet when the door blew at 16,000 feet. NTSB investigators arrived at the scene along Barnes Road in Portland, January 7, 2024 (Sean Bates)
Sean Bates found one of 2 cell phones that flew out of an Alaska Air jet when the door blew at 16,000 feet. NTSB investigators arrived at the scene along Barnes Road in Portland, January 7, 2024 (Sean Bates)

Earlier Sunday, law enforcement officials in Washington County urged anyone who found potential debris from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 to reach out to authorities after the NTSB disclosed late Saturday the blown out part of the aircraft could be around Barnes Road near Hwy 217 and the Cedar Hills neighborhood.

The 171 passengers and 9 crew members on the flight experienced a “terrifying” accident on the Boeing 737 Max 9 when, shortly after takeoff from Portland to Ontario, California Saturday night, it lost a door mid-cabin at 16,000 feet. This prompted an emergency landing in PDX.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that, while they acknowledge the possibility that the plane’s door may have fallen in their area, they were not asked to coordinate a specific search at this time.

Alaska Air passenger describes ‘trip from Hell’

A spokesperson with the Beaverton Police Department told KOIN 6 News they have also wer not called to search.

Homendy thanked the community who came forward to search and find the debris items.

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