Three passengers on an Alaska Airlines flight whose door plug came off shortly after takeoff on January 4 are seeking $1 billion from the airline and aircraft manufacturer Boeing for “systemic risk,” according to a press release. has filed a lawsuit.
Passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 were en route from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California when a door plug popped off the Boeing 737 MAX 9 shortly after takeoff, creating a gap in the fuselage. The incident sparked an investigation and resulted in the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft around the world. (Related: Federal regulators find numerous problems with Boeing's safety practices)
Aviation law firm Jonathan W. Johnson LLC said three of the passengers on the flight, Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland and Kevin Kwok, were in the accident, calling it “preventable.” , said it would sue the airline and plane manufacturer for “punitive damages.” February 23rd press statement. The company also noted that Rinker and Strickland were seated just two rows diagonally behind a 15-year-old boy whose shirt was reportedly “sucked off” by the impact of the incident.
“Further inspections should have been conducted before the aircraft entered service. We are holding Boeing accountable for its negligence, which caused extreme panic, fear, and post-traumatic stress. This experience resulted in the death of 174 people on board. and the lives of six crew members were at risk,” the company said.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 is pictured with other 737 aircraft at Renton Municipal Airport, adjacent to the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)
“For these reasons, this lawsuit is based on an accident that was preventable and a manufacturing defect that affected numerous other aircraft and threatened the lives of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft passengers. , is seeking substantial punitive damages from the Boeing Co. FAA following the incident.”
As the investigation into the incident progresses, a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on February 6 revealed that the bolt was missing from the door plug of the 737 in Renton, Washington. . The report provided a “photographic record” of the findings, but did not say what stage of the manufacturing process the plane was in at the time.
“Photographic documentation obtained from Boeing shows evidence that the left MED plug was closed without three visible retaining hardware (bolts),” the report states.
Expanded production of the Boeing MAX fleet was then halted. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the airline's older aircraft are only cleared for use after thorough inspections.
