Six passengers on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 have sued Boeing after a large slab blew off the plane over Portland, Oregon, on Friday, causing cabin pressure to drop.
The six passengers and a family member of one of those passengers filed a proposed class action lawsuit Thursday in King County Superior Court in Seattle, demanding that Boeing owe them and the other 165 passengers aboard Flight 1282 compensation for injuries sustained during the incident.
Alaska Airlines is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
A passenger named in the lawsuit said her head was shaken back and forth during the incident, causing a concussion, soft tissue injuries to her neck and back and bleeding in one ear. She also claimed her oxygen mask didn't appear to be working.
Two passengers named in the lawsuit said they had trouble breathing. One said they fainted.
Another passenger said he suffered a seizure after disembarking because he suffers from a seizure disorder triggered by stressful situations.
“While everyone is glad that the explosion occurred while the crew was still able to land the aircraft safely, this nightmarish experience has caused economic, physical and lasting emotional consequences that have understandably deeply affected our customers and is another worrying sign for those affected.” “737 MAX series aircraft,” wrote attorney Daniel Laurence of the law firm Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore, which is representing the passengers, in a statement on Thursday.
The Alaska Airlines flight was traveling on a Boeing 737 MAX 9, the less popular of the two MAX models currently carrying passengers, when a door plug intended to close a hole into which an emergency exit could be installed came loose. The plane returned safely to Portland International Airport, where some passengers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Federal Aviation Administration discontinued this model of the MAX on Saturday. The aircraft will remain on the ground until inspection. This is in accordance with a series of instructions from Boeing that must be approved by the FAA.
Boeing declined to comment on the lawsuit Thursday.
More about Alaska Airlines and the Boeing 737 MAX 9
The company said in statements earlier this week that it supports the FAA's decision to ground the 737 MAX 9 and is “committed to ensuring that every Boeing aircraft meets design specifications and the highest safety and quality standards.” “.
“We regret the impact this has had on our customers and their passengers,” Boeing said Monday.
The lawsuit filed Thursday blames Boeing because CEO Dave Calhoun allegedly admitted that the bankruptcy was due to a “mistake” by Boeing.
Lawyers representing the passengers pointed to an all-Boeing employee meeting Tuesday in which Calhoun told workers, “We're going to approach this No. 1 and admit our mistake.”
“We will approach this with 100% transparency every step of the way,” he continued
“Moments like this are trembling [customers] to the bone, just like it shook me to the bone,” Calhoun said.
The group proposed for the lawsuit includes the 171 passengers on board Flight 1282 as well as their spouses and civil partners. Some live in Washington.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensation related to treatment for health problems and psychological injuries, as well as costs from cancellation of travel plans, missed work and the value of lost personal items.
The lawsuit comes the same day the FAA announced it had opened an investigation into Boeing's role in Friday's bankruptcy.
After the plane landed in Portland on Friday, some passengers were rebooked on a new flight to continue the journey to Ontario, California, Flight 1282's original destination. Other passengers “had no interest in transferring,” the lawsuit says.
According to the lawsuit, those who continued on to California that night boarded another Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9.