Boeing Faces Lawsuit After Emergency Landing of Alaska Airlines Flight

Six passengers are taking legal action against Boeing following a terrifying incident last week when an Alaska Airlines flight, en route from Oregon to California, had to make an emergency landing after a section of the plane blew out mid-flight. The passengers are suing for injuries sustained during the incident, as well as emotional trauma.

The incident occurred just minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a 737 Max 9 plane manufactured by Boeing, took off from Portland and reached an altitude of 16,000 feet. The door plug on the aircraft detached, creating a gaping hole that sucked out cell phones and even ripped a child’s shirt off his body.

Initially, no serious injuries were reported. However, the passengers, in a lawsuit filed in Washington, claim that “much of the oxygen” was sucked out of the plane, and many of the oxygen masks appeared to be non-functional. Some passengers reported that despite tugging on the tubes, no oxygen flowed, and flight attendants could not assist everyone whose masks were not functioning.

The lawsuit detailed various injuries suffered by the passengers, including bruises and bleeding ears due to the pressure change. The combination of low oxygen, loud wind noise, and traumatic stress caused severe headaches, according to the legal filing.

While the suit asserts that some passengers sustained physical injuries, it emphasized that the majority, if not all, were “emotionally traumatized.” The passengers described the ordeal as a “waking nightmare,” expressing shock, terror, and confusion.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the 737 Max 9, has not responded to requests for comment from FOX Business. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the incident. Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun acknowledged the company’s mistake and pledged to work with the NTSB to determine the cause of the incident.

In response to the emergency landing, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes with a plug door. The FAA is also investigating Boeing to determine if the company failed to ensure that completed products conformed to approved designs and were in a condition for safe operation, as required by FAA regulations.

The grounding affects only two U.S. carriers, Alaska and United Airlines, that operate the Boeing 737 Max 9 model. The FAA’s precautionary measures aim to ensure the safety of these aircraft before they can resume normal operations. Investors have already seen the impact, with Boeing’s stock experiencing a 2.23% decrease following the incident.