Alaska Airlines flight passengers sue Boeing

Passengers who were on board the Alaska Airlines plane that lost a buffer door during the flight filed a lawsuit against Boeing, the aircraft's manufacturer, on Thursday (Jan. 11, 2024). On the same date, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) opened a formal investigation against the company. Here are the full here (PDF – 746 kB) and here (PDF – 178 kB).

The complaint was made in a court in Seattle (United States) on behalf of 6 passengers and 1 family member of one of those present in the accident. The document says that during the January 5th flight they suffered physical injuries – such as concussions, bruises, and bleeding ears.

They claim that some oxygen masks did not work during decompression, causing some to have difficulty breathing. At high altitudes, people can suffer from hypoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain.

Passengers also said they suffered psychological damage. The lawsuit wants Boeing to compensate not only the whistleblowers, but all passengers and their respective spouses.

“This nightmare has caused economic, physical and emotional damage that has deeply affected our customers. The episode is yet another dark chapter in the troubled history of the 737 MAX plane.”said Daniel Laurence, lawyer for the prosecution.

On the same day that the complaint was filed, the FAA notified Boeing, which opened an investigation to investigate the circumstances that led to the ejection of the buffer door in mid-flight. After the crash, other airlines said they found loose parts on 737 Max 9 planes.

According to the FAA letter, “Os The facts described above indicate that Boeing may have failed to ensure that the products conform to the approved design and are in a safe condition for use.“.

Boeing has 10 business days to respond and present any evidence or statements about the plane and its manufacturing. The FAA will consider the materials in its conclusion of the investigation.

“Your response must contain the root cause for the damaged products, impacted services, and the scope of any action taken to correct and prevent recurrence, as well as any circumstances you deem relevant“, said the letter addressed to Boeing’s Vice President of Quality, Carole Murray.

REMEMBER THE CASE

The incident with an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 occurred on January 5th. The aircraft had departed Portland, bound for Ontario, a city in California (which is the namesake of the Canadian province of Ontario), when the plug on an emergency door came loose, causing decompression during the flight. The pilot made an emergency landing and there were no serious injuries.

Video circulating on social media shows the interior of the plane and a hole on the left side. According to Alaska Airlines, the flight returned safely to Portland. There were 171 passengers and 6 crew on board.

Watch (1min14s):

The incident was recorded when the plane was at around 16,000 feet and just 10 minutes into the flight. In the configuration used by Alaska Airlines, the additional exit door (which on other companies is used as an emergency exit) is permanently disabled. No one was sitting in the 2 seats next to the door that exploded, leaving a hole in the plane's fuselage.

Alaska Airlines was the first to decide suspend the operation of all of its 65 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for safety inspections. The company reported finding loose parts on other planes. The same happened with United Airlines, which has the largest fleet of aircraft of this model.

Days after the incident, the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board, in English) said he had not found the screws for the recovered cap, which would indicate that they might never have been installed. The FAA has suspended use of the aircraft until further notice.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the company is responsible in the case. And that the company will address the incident with “complete transparency at every step” of the investigation.

Alaska Airlines offered a refund and an additional $1,500 for “help with any inconveniences”. The proposal, accompanied by an apology from the airline, was sent by email to customers hours after the incident.

There are no Boeing 737 Max 9 models in operation by Brazilian airlines, according to Anac (National Civil Aviation Agency).

However, there is a foreign company that flies to Brazil using the jet: the Panamanian Copa Airlines, which uses the plane for routes from São Paulo and Rio to Panama and the Caribbean. The company also suspended operations with the model.