Three passengers aboard the Alaska Airlines flight that experienced an emergency landing due to a door plug blowing off mid-flight have filed a lawsuit against the airline and Boeing, seeking $1 billion in damages, alleging negligence as the cause of the incident.
The complaint, filed on February 20 in Multnomah County, Oregon, on behalf of Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland, and Kevin Kwok, all passengers on Alaska Flight 1282, outlines the traumatic experience when an unused exit door detached from the aircraft shortly after takeoff from Portland en route to Ontario, California, in early January.
The lawsuit seeks both compensatory and punitive damages from Boeing, the manufacturer of the 737 Max 9 jet operated by Alaska Airlines. It alleges severe mental, emotional, and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress, suffered by the plaintiffs due to the sudden pressure change inside the cabin, causing some passengers’ ears to bleed.
Jonathan W. Johnson, LLC, an aviation law firm representing the plaintiffs, stated in a news release that the lawsuit aims to hold Boeing accountable for negligence resulting in extreme panic, fear, and post-traumatic stress. The firm labeled the incident on Flight 1282 as preventable and highlighted concerns about similar defects found in other Boeing-manufactured aircraft during subsequent investigations.
The lawsuit characterizes the incident as part of a broader pattern of prioritizing profits over safety by Boeing and Alaska Airlines, echoing concerns raised in the aviation industry.
Flight 1282 departed from Portland International Airport on January 5 and made an emergency landing back in Portland approximately 40 minutes later. Social media footage captured a visible hole in the aircraft’s side, with several passengers sustaining minor injuries and losing personal belongings sucked out of the plane.
An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that four crucial bolts intended to secure the door plug were missing, leading to its detachment mid-flight. Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines canceled flights on Boeing 737 Max 9 planes for inspections following the incident, prompting the FAA to order a temporary global grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9 jets for immediate inspection.
Boeing faces another class-action lawsuit related to the Flight 1282 incident, alleging physical injuries and emotional trauma to passengers. While Alaska Airlines has not been named as a defendant in this suit, both Boeing and the airline declined to comment on the ongoing litigation and NTSB investigation.
