Boeing and U.S. aerospace set back by Alaska Airlines fuselage blowout

When a door-sized section of a 737 MAX 9 fuselage exploded out into the void 16,000 feet over Portland, Boeing's once-solid reputation, already staggered by the two MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, took another heavy blow.

The gaping hole that opened up and the violent decompression were terrifying and traumatic for the passengers and crew aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.

Though no one died, and air travel still remains by far the safest form of transportation, this close call on a U.S. flight drew intense attention across the nation.