If the Alaska Airlines plane that lost a portion of its fuselage while ascending after takeoff Friday had been flying at normal cruising altitude, its passengers and crew would probably have died from the depressurization event, according to a Northeastern expert.

The Boeing 737 Max 9 airplane was only minutes into its flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County, California, when an unused exit door blew open and detached from the aircraft at an altitude of 16,000 feet, exposing those on board to harrowing conditions that occur when cabin pressure is compromised.

Read more from Northeastern Global News.

Photo by National Transportation Safety Board via AP