Two months after a door plug caused significant damage to Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 shortly after its departure from Portland International Airport, attorneys representing 62 passengers have initiated legal action against both the airline and Boeing, the aircraft’s manufacturer.
The most recent lawsuit, filed on February 20 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, marks the third legal claim related to the incident. Notably, it is the first to specify a monetary demand, seeking $1 billion in combined personal and punitive damages. Two earlier lawsuits were filed in January in Washington, involving a total of 59 passengers, but did not specify compensation amounts.
The latest legal action was brought forth by three Oregon residents—Kevin Kwok, Kyle Rinker, and Amanda Strickland—who were among the 171 passengers and six crew members on the January 5 flight destined for Ontario, California. Six minutes into the journey, a 2-by-4 foot door plug detached from the aircraft in the 26th row, causing the ejection of seat parts, a teenager’s shirt, electronic devices, and other personal belongings.
According to the suit, Kwok, situated near the front of the plane, became aware of the danger when oxygen masks descended. Rinker and Strickland, seated diagonally behind and across from the missing door plug, prepared for a potential crash and imminent danger. Despite the traumatic experience, the pilot successfully returned to Portland for an emergency landing, with the airline reporting no serious injuries. However, the plaintiffs in the latest lawsuit claim they were too traumatized to continue their journey to southern California.
All three lawsuits attribute responsibility to Alaska Airlines and Boeing, alleging that both entities should have been aware of issues with the specific aircraft involved, a Boeing 737 Max 9. The legal actions also reference Boeing’s problematic history with similar planes, including the 737 Max 8s involved in fatal crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia in 2018 and 2019, respectively, resulting in a total of 346 fatalities.
As of Monday, both Alaska Airlines and Boeing have declined to comment on the ongoing litigation. The legal proceedings involve attorneys Jonathan W. Johnson from Atlanta and Justin Idiart from Oregon, with Mark Lindquist representing 26 passengers in a January-filed suit in King County Superior Court and the Stritmatter Firm in Seattle representing 33 passengers in federal court in Washington, with plans to formally seek class-action status. Lawyers involved in these cases anticipate that the number of represented plaintiffs will increase.
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Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 News: Alaska Airlines and Boeing Face $1 Billion Lawsuit from Three Flight 1282 Passengers
In the aftermath of the mid-flight door plug incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 involving a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet, three passengers have filed a $1 billion lawsuit against both the airline and Boeing. The suit, filed last month in Multnomah County, Oregon, involves Kevin Kwok, Kyle Rinker, and Amanda Strickland, who were on board during the unsettling event.
According to their attorney, Jonathan Johnson, an aviation law specialist, Rinker and Strickland were seated just two rows behind a teenager whose shirt was sucked off when the door plug blew out. Johnson emphasized that the lawsuit primarily addresses systemic issues at Boeing, asserting that the company’s practices pose a threat to the safety of all passengers flying on Boeing aircraft. He stated, “They should not be trusting luck to avoid a planeload of people being killed.”
Rinker described the moment of the incident, recalling a loud pop about five minutes into the flight, followed by the sudden rush of cold wind as the oxygen masks descended. The experience has been particularly triggering for Rinker, who resides in an area frequently overflown by airplanes.
This lawsuit is the latest legal challenge for Alaska Airlines and Boeing since the emergency landing of the Ontario, California-bound flight on January 5. Despite the incident, which forced passengers to endure depressurization, no serious injuries were reported.
Mark Lindquist, another attorney representing 22 passengers from Flight 1282, revealed that their lawsuit has been expanded to include allegations that passengers on a prior flight of the aircraft heard a whistling sound. The updated lawsuit suggests that the whistling sound near the door plug was brought to the attention of flight attendants during a previous flight, but no further action was taken after the pilot checked cockpit instruments.
The expanded lawsuit also references the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report, indicating that the cockpit door was designed to blow out in a depressurization scenario, contributing to communication difficulties and heightened confusion between the flight crew and passengers.
The legal action includes claims of emotional and physical injuries, encompassing severe stress, anxiety, trauma, and hearing damage. Subsequent to the incident, the FAA grounded the Max 9 fleet for further investigation. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker recently urged Boeing to address its “systemic quality-control issues,” emphasizing the need for substantial and sustained improvements from the company’s leadership. Whitaker asserted that accountability would be maintained throughout the process with mutually understood milestones and expectations.
FAQS
1. What is the basis of the $1 billion lawsuit against Alaska Airlines and Boeing?
The lawsuit stems from an incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 involving a Boeing 737 MAX 9, where a door plug blew out mid-flight, prompting three passengers to file a $1 billion lawsuit, citing systemic problems at Boeing.
2. Who are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, and what were their experiences during the incident?
The plaintiffs are Kevin Kwok, Kyle Rinker, and Amanda Strickland. Rinker and Strickland were seated near a teenager whose shirt was sucked off when the door plug blew out, causing a loud pop and a rush of cold wind. They were traumatized by the experience.
3. What additional claims have been added to the lawsuit?
The lawsuit has been expanded to include allegations from a previous flight suggesting that passengers heard a whistling sound near the door plug. The suit asserts that despite being brought to the attention of flight attendants, no action was taken after the pilot checked cockpit instruments.
4. What injuries and damages are mentioned in the lawsuit?
The legal action includes allegations of emotional and physical injuries such as severe stress, anxiety, trauma, and hearing damage. Additional passengers have been added to the lawsuit in an amended filing.
5. What regulatory action has been taken in response to the incident?
Following the incident, the FAA grounded the Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet for further investigation. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker has urged Boeing to address “systemic quality-control issues,” emphasizing the need for substantial and sustained improvements with clear accountability measures.
Content Contributor: Rehana Sengupta
***With inputs from FOX News. Featured image courtesy KATU
