Passengers experienced moments of horror in January in the United States when a wall panel on an airplane ripped off mid-flight.
Californian Cuong Tran describes “holding on for breath” when a wall panel on an Alaska Airlines plane tore off mid-flight next to the row of seats in front of Tran.
“It was probably the first time in my life that I felt like I had no control over anything. I was in disbelief about the whole situation,” 40-year-old Tran told the BBC in the interview.
An Alaska Airlines flight with a Boeing 737 Max 9 over Oregon was interrupted at the beginning of January when the plane's wall panel came off mid-flight. The air pressure in the cabin dropped quickly, and objects flew out of the plane, such as passengers' phones and headrests torn from the seats. No passengers were seriously injured and the plane was able to land back in Portland, Oregon.
Tran tells the BBC that he was getting ready to take a nap after taking off.
“The captain announced that we have risen to a height of more than three kilometers. Then a hole exploded in the wall, and I remember my whole body going up until the wind started pulling my lower body down.”
According to Tran, the sudden collapse in air pressure lasted about 10-20 seconds. He describes the situation as very scary.
“The suction was strong and I held on for dear life. Both of my shoes tore off, and my shoes were pretty tight.”
Tran's socks and the phone that was in his hand at the time of the accident also disappeared. As a memory of the accident, Tran was left with a big scar on his leg.
The crashed plane was examined at the Portland airfield in Oregon, USA, a few days after the accident.
Trans has together with seven other passengers sued the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the airline Alaska Airlines and Boeing's subcontractor Spirit Aerosystems.
According to them, the incident left them with not only physical injuries but also serious mental injuries such as anxiety and stress.
Another group of passengers has also sued Alaska Airlines and Boeing for negligence.
The US Department of Justice has also opened a criminal investigation into the case, reported The Wall Street Journal in March at the beginning of. According to the WSJ, the investigation would reveal to the ministry whether Boeing has acted as agreed in previous investigations related to disastrous accidents.
A few years ago, Boeing's model was widely banned after two disastrous plane accidents. Planes were again banned from flying after the incident in January.
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