21-Year-Old Alaska Airlines Passenger Reportedly Sent Text Message to Her Parents When Plane Door Blew Out

In a since-deleted TikTok video, Alaska Airline passenger Emma Vu sent a harrowing text to her parents as the plane lost its door mid-flight. The young woman has also publicly shared her experience through an interview.

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 recently turned into a nerve-wracking experience for passengers, including Emma Vu, a passenger among those aboard the plane. The 21-year-old, asleep when the door detached, woke up to a frightening scene one would only see in the movies.

Amidst the turbulence, oxygen mask drop, and a massive hole in the 16,000-foot above-ground aircraft, Vu reportedly contacted her parents, informing them of what was happening.

Vu reportedly texted her parents with details of what was going on mid-air. She didn't conceal her fear and told her family she still wanted to live should the dangerous experience end badly. She later shared the details of their correspondence in a now-deleted TikTok video.

Following the incident, Vu shared more of her experience during an interview. She woke up to a scary situation and immediately panicked. "You just think it's never going to happen to you — and then it literally did happen to me," she said.

Fortunately, she was seated beside passengers who kept her calm. En route from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, the aircraft safely landed after what felt like hours of turbulence.

Alaska Airlines also took steps to address the concerns of passengers. They sent an apology letter to those onboard, refunded the flight tickets, and offered a $1,500 compensation as a gesture of goodwill for the distress caused during the journey.

In the aftermath of the situation, US National Transportation Safety Board member Jennifer Homendy revealed that the aircraft had been warned about making long-haul flights above water.

She said that the plane pilots previously reported warning lights during three different flights, hence the decision to refrain from flying over water. If the warning signs occur mid-flight, the aircraft "could return very quickly to an airport," she added. However, there is no definitive link between the warning lights and the issue that caused the incident.

This was not the first time Alaska Airlines had a negative experience flying passengers. On January 31, 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 carried 88 passengers who all died after crashing into the Pacific Ocean. The happenings from the tragedy later inspired the 2012 movie "Flight."