A passenger plane lost a section of its fuselage in mid-air, forcing it to make an emergency landing in the US state of Oregon on Friday.
The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 returned to Portland 35 minutes into its flight to California after an outer section, including a window, fell.
Alaska said 177 passengers and crew were on board and “landed safely”.
The airline said it would “temporarily” ground all 65 of its 737 Max 9 aircraft to conduct inspections.
In a statement Alaska Airlines’ CEO Ben Minicucci said: “Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.”
Mr Minicucci praised the efforts of the six crew members on board the flight which had climbed to more than 16,000ft (4,876m) when it began its emergency descent, according to flight tracking data.
Images sent to news outlets show the night sky visible through the gap in the aircraft’s fuselage, with insulation material and other debris also seen.
Other pictures show the seat closest to the affected section, a window seat that passengers said was unoccupied, leaning forward without its cushion.
“My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced,” Mr Minicucci said. (BBC)
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