Cockpit Recorder in Alaska Airlines Flight ‘Completely Overwritten,’ Official Says

The Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane was in the air for about 20 minutes as it was returning to Portland International Airport after a door was blown off.

The hole where the blown-off door on the fuselage had been on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 in Portland, Ore., seen here on Jan. 7, 2024. The Canadian Press/AP-HO, National Transportation Safety Board

Cockpit voice recorder data on the Alaska Airlines Boeing plane that lost a panel during a flight this past week were “completely overwritten,” said a top U.S. investigator on Jan. 8.

The devices, which record engine sounds and the pilots’ voices, are currently mandated to retain only up to two hours of audio at one time, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy said in an update.