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The three passengers on board Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Door plug flew off during flight In January, the company that developed the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet filed a $1 billion lawsuit against airlines and Boeing.
Kyle Rinker and his girlfriend, Amanda Strickland, were seated two rows diagonally behind the teenage boy whose shirt was sucked off when the door plug went flying, said aviation lawyer Jonathan Johnson. said in a press release this week.
Kevin Kwok, who was also seated near the two, is also part of the lawsuit filed late last month in Multnomah County, Oregon.
“This is primarily about a system issue at Boeing that is putting the lives of all travelers on Boeing aircraft at risk,” Johnson told KGW-TV. He said, “You shouldn’t rely on luck to avoid killing a bunch of people on a plane.”
Alaska Airlines passenger talks about scary flight to California: ‘There was a hole in the plane’
The missing emergency door of Alaska Airlines N704AL (737 Max 9) that made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport on January 5 is covered and taped in Portland, Oregon, January 23, 2024. Alaska Airlines plans to resume operations. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP, Getty Images/Getty Images)
Rinker told KGW: “About five minutes into the flight, we heard a loud bang. We were just sitting there trying to relax… and then it happened all of a sudden. ‘Oh. , ‘Wow,’ and the oxygen mask came down.” Something is happening. I have to wear this. ”
He added: “The wind was blowing really hard. You’re flying at 16,000 feet, so obviously it suddenly got very, very cold.”
Rinker said they live in an area where they often hear planes overhead and that has been a trigger since the incident.
“We haven’t been on a plane since, and we don’t know when we will again,” he said.
NTSB report: Missing door plug bolt contributes to mid-air eruption on Alaska Airlines flight
The lawsuit is just the latest legal challenge Alaska Airlines and Boeing Co. have faced since a Jan. 5 incident in which a plane bound for Ontario, California, was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland. No serious injuries were reported.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators say there is evidence that the four bolts that held the Boeing 737 Max 9’s door plug in place were missing during last month’s explosion on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. said. (NTSB/FOX News)
Mark Lindquist, another attorney representing 22 other passengers on board Flight 1282 at the time of decompression, announced last month that the lawsuit against Boeing and the state of Alaska was expanded to include passengers on the plane’s previous flight. told FOX Business that the complaint had been expanded to include claims that he heard a whistle. .
The latest complaint states, “On the flight in front of the subject aircraft, a whistle-like sound was heard near the door plug.It appears that a passenger noticed the whistle and alerted the flight attendant, who then called the pilot. He is said to have been the first to report the incident.” board member. “
“After the pilot checked the cockpit instruments, which were found to be normal, no further action was taken.”
The expanded lawsuit also cites a preliminary report released last month by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that found cockpit doors were designed to blow off in depressurization situations, leaving pilots and crew members unharmed. The company says it was not made aware of this design feature.
“The resulting shocks, noise, and communication difficulties resulted in a lack of proper communication between crew and passengers, leading to increased confusion and stress,” according to the complaint.
The lawsuit includes claims of severe stress, anxiety, trauma, and mental and physical injuries, including hearing loss. The amended filing added more passengers to the lawsuit.
Following the incident, the FAA grounded the Max 9 for further investigation.
Last week, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told Boeing officials that the company’s “systemic quality control issues” needed to be addressed.
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“Boeing needs to commit to real fundamental improvements,” Whitaker said after meeting with Boeing CEO and President Dave Calhoun and the company’s senior safety team. “Making fundamental change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we intend to hold them accountable every step of the way, with a mutual understanding of milestones and expectations.” is.”
Fox Business has reached out to Johnson for comment. Boeing and Alaska Airlines declined to comment.
Fox Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
