WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The Air Line Pilots Association awarded a Superior Airmanship Award Thursday to the two pilots who were at the helm of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 when the plane suffered a door plug blowout minutes after takeoff on Jan. 5 and had to make an emergency return to Portland International Airport (PDX).
The captain, who has not been publicly identified, and First Officer Emily Wiprud rapidly descended to 10,000 feet and then safely landed at PDX, demonstrating what the association heralded as skill, professionalism and a prompt response during an emergency.
Speaking at a news conference, Wiprud declared that she was accepting the award on behalf of the entire Flight 1282 crew. She said she and the captain were abruptly hit by a rush of air so strong that "it felt like an explosion" and immediately knew that the plane had depressurized, even though they didn't initially know that the door plug was the specific cause.
Wiprud said she went through the depressurization checklist while the captain maintained control of the plane, and she commended the cabin crew for keeping the passengers calm and safe while the pilots worked to get the plane back to PDX.
"My captain showcased and was a perfect example of grace under pressure, maintaining control of the aircraft while working together to land safely," she said.
The incident caused only eight minor injuries, but experts noted that the outcome could have been far worse if the plug had blown off at a higher altitude. Boeing has come under increased scrutiny following the blowout, especially after federal investigators concluded that the failure on the almost-brand-new 737 Max 9 jet happened because a set of key anchoring bolts were missing when the plane rolled out of the company's factory last fall.
The airmanship awards were handed out in the midst of the union's annual Flight Safety Forum, which has included a major focus on pushing to maintain current rules requiring at least two pilots in the cabin on every commercial flight. Airlines have been calling on regulators to reduce that requirement in some circumstances, drawing significant pushback from pilot groups.
Multiple speakers at the news conference, including Wiprud, described Flight 1282 and other recent incidents as examples of the importance of having at least two pilots available.
"I'm thankful that there were two flight crew members on the flight deck, as it enabled us to work as a seamless team in returning to the ground safely," Wiprud said.