More concerns as Alaska Airlines flight arrives at PDX gate with open cargo door

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Alaska Airlines is facing another round of safety concerns after a flight arrived at the gates at Portland International Airport with its cargo door slightly ajar.

Last week, Alaska Airlines Flight 1437 from Los Cabos, Mexico arrived at PDX with what appeared to be an incorrectly sealed cargo door, according to photos obtained by KOIN 6 on Wednesday.

It’s unclear how long the Boeing 737 door was open, but sources say passengers’ pets were inside and lived. It is not clear whether the circumstance could have put the flight at risk, but a source told KOIN 6 the flight did not require an emergency landing.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Alaska Airlines said, “Upon landing at PDX on March 1, Alaska Airlines flight 1437 was discovered to have the forward cargo door unsealed. There was no indication to the crew that the door was unsealed during flight and all indications point to the door partially opening after landing. Our maintenance teams inspected the aircraft, replaced a spring in the door, tested the door and reentered it into service.”

Aviation expert Joe Schwieterman called the incident “a pretty major defect” after reviewing the photos obtained by KOIN 6.

“It affects a lot of the electrical equipment in that cargo hold. So, it is troublesome that you may have a plane where some things like this went undetected,” he said.

Schwieterman said an incident such as this should have tripped a sensor.

KOIN 6 News received the tip just one day after officials confirmed that a Phoenix-bound Alaska Airlines flight returned to PDX after multiple people reported smelling fumes in the cabin.

Fire crews from the Port of Portland and Portland Fire and Rescue responded to investigate the cause of the smell, but were unable to identify a cause, officials say.

Seven people – including passengers and crew members – requested medical evaluation, but no one was taken to the hospital, according to the Port of Portland.

Meanwhile, several class-action lawsuits are ongoing after a door plug blew off Alaska Airlines flight 1282 that took off from PDX in early January. A report from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found the bolts that hold the door plug in place were missing when the plane took off.

Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops.