A plane door ripping open mid-flight, leaving a gaping hole thousands of metres above sea level is usually the stuff of nightmares or blockbuster Hollywood movies. But for those on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 last week, that became a reality.

The flight made an emergency return to Portland, where 171 passengers and six crew landed safely. But the incident caused air safety investigations all over the world to probe whether there may be issues with other Boeing aircraft in operation. 

Today, aviation reporter Amelia McGuire on what caused the hole in the Alaska Airlines flight and whether Australians have anything to worry about.