Alaska Airlines is grounding all Boeing 737-9 aircraft after a window blew out mid-air on a flight from Portland, Oregon.
The flight was forced to make an emergency landing, as photos and videos purportedly from on board show a gaping hole in the side of the plane next to passenger seats and oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.
The airline's CEO Ben Minicucci said a fleet of 65 planes would be out of action temporarily "as a precautionary step".
He said support teams in Portland were helping passengers caught up in the drama.
"My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced," Minicucci said.
"I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants."
He said each aircraft would only resume flying after a full maintenance and safety check.
"We anticipate all inspections will be completed in the next few days," Minicucci said.
"I am personally committed to doing everything we can to conduct this review in a timely and transparent way.
"We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available."
It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.
"The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 174 guests and six crew members."
The flight left Portland at 4.52pm but returned just before 5.30pm (GMT-8 time).
The plane rose as high as 4876 metres during the flight and then began descending, according to data on the flight tracking website FlightAware.
KPTV-TV reported photos sent in by a passenger showed a large section of the airplane's fuselage was missing.
The FAA did not immediately respond to an email request for information.
The Boeing 737-9 MAX rolled off the assembly line and received its certification just two months ago, according to online FAA records.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was investigating an event on the flight and would post updates when they are available.
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