Jet makes emergency landing at SEA-TAC (KSEA) airport
aramnoel
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This article taken from the oregonian: Seattle-A foot long hole in the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines jet caused the plane to lose cabin pressure, forcing the crew to make an emergency decent from 26,000 ft and return to Sea-Tac, authorities said tuesday.
The incident Monday involved an MD-80 jet en route to Burbank, Calif. The plane landed safely at Sea-Tac and none of the 140 passengers or five crew was hurt, Alaska Airlines spokeswomen Caroline Boren said.
The NTSB and the FAA were investigating, along with the airline and the Port of Seattle.
A ramp worker has acknowledged he failed to immediately report striking the plane at the gate monday with a baggage cart or baggage belt machine, NTSB spokesman Jim Struhsaker said.
The bump created a crease in the planes aluminum skin, which opened up into a 12-by6-inch gash as the plane reached 26,000 feet, Struhsaker said
Alaska Flight 536 left the airport just before 4 pm monday. The Flight crew reported a loss of cabin pressure about 2o minuets later, Boren saied. oxygen maskes deployed and the plane made a rapid descent, landing just before 5 pm, she said
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Just saw it on the news on TV. The passengers are extremely lucky to be exposed to high pressure and still live to tell the tale, as for that groundcrew member, your fired! 
how long can a plane go before people start dying by losing pressure like that?
not too long...I would guess as long as a normal dude can hold his breath?
Although I love flying, this has always been one of my worst fears. A suuden cabin depressurisation can be a killer even though the oxygen masks deploy. If a person has an unknown medical condition it could be over for them. I am glad to see that all are ok...!!! As for the ground crew that caused it...??? I think that he is going to get more than a lecture don't you think...???
Well, the human body is more resilient than people generally think (thank god). If the masks deploy (and there is oxygen flowing), people should be fine. The low (not high) pressure is not so much an issue - not for the time it takes to descend - the low temperature can become one. Probably the worst part of sudden decompression is the danger of the plane exploding and that of individual passengers being blown out of the hole in the fuselage.
Now, if there is no oxygen... 
I'd say 1-3 minutes of useful alertness. Not so much an issue for the passengers (it will take them longer to actually die), but the pilots? Yep, kind of an issue. Remember the recent Helios crash? That one raised the question, look it up and read 🙂
My Dad told me about it. (He works for Alaska Air @ KRNO Reno) he told me that it wasn't explosive decommpression and that the passengers didn't really need the masks, i guess if it makes you feel better wear it. He also told me the passengers didn't know about the hole until they landed. 😳 Wonder what happend to the bag handler......promotion? hell no 
I wold of smacked him LOL
my uncle that works for alaska said that alaska got rid of all there good ground people and got new ones that aren't as good, so thats why he thinks it happend
no its not that trust me its happed to alot of planed resantly dunno y but happed to me 1ce wasnt nice but falt with plane :/
o and how do u get pics i forgot for like underneath the message?!
clazas wrote:
o and how do u get pics i forgot for like underneath the message?!
Read this link, it should help.
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