Seven passengers from the Alaska Airlines flight, which had to make an emergency landing after a door-sized panel came off the plane, are suing the airline and Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer.
Cuong Tran, one of the plaintiffs, was seated in a window seat just behind the door plug that blew out, causing rapid depressurization in the cabin of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet. His seatbelt saved him as air rushed out, ripping off a pair of socks and one shoe, and pulling away his iPhone.
These passengers, who suffered physical injuries and feared for their lives during the incident, according to their attorneys, are suing Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and its supplier Spirit Aerosystems.
The lawsuit was filed in Washington’s King County Superior Court. It is one of several lawsuits filed by passengers, including one representing 22 passengers, another brought by three Oregon passengers seeking $1 billion in damages, and a federal court case representing 33 passengers.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that four key bolts were missing from the door plug that blew out, and they are seeking more information on who worked on the plug. The head of Boeing’s 737 Max program was removed following the incident.
The January 5th incident led the Federal Aviation Administration to ground some Boeing 737 Max 9 planes as it investigates, and the US Justice Department has initiated a criminal investigation into the company.
