OREGON- A group of passengers is filing a $1 billion lawsuit against Alaska Airlines (AS) and aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing concerning the harrowing January 5 flight originating from Portland (PDX), Oregon, where a significant cabin panel blowout occurred.
The disturbing images of the extensive fuselage hole that posed a severe threat circulated widely, and the passengers, now bringing legal action, recounted additional terrifying experiences.
Alaska Airlines and Boeing Sued
One passenger, Kyle Rinker, shared with KGW News that the flight took off smoothly, but a loud pop was heard after just five minutes. Rinker referred to the blowing off a door plug, leading to a gaping hole in the 737 MAX 9 plane. Notably, the lawsuit focuses on the aftermath of this incident.
“We were just sitting there trying to relax, and then, suddenly, that incident occurred. The oxygen masks came down, and it was like, ‘Oh, wow, something’s happening. We need to put these on,'” described Kyle Rinker.
“The wind just rushed in. It was very, very cold all of a sudden, obviously, because you’re flying up there at 16,000 feet,” he added.
Rinker, his girlfriend Amanda Strickland, and another passenger, Kevin Kwok, initiated a lawsuit last month in Multnomah County, Oregon, representing passengers aboard Alaska Airlines flight 1282.
The lawsuit asserts that the defendants overlooked evident warning signs, emphasizing that the flight should never have taken off.
Both residing in Portland, Rinker and Strickland were seated two rows behind 15-year-old Jack, who lost his shirt during the incident.
Throughout the flight, Rinker shared images on X depicting the chaotic situation.
Lawyer Remarks
“This primarily revolves around the systemic issues at Boeing, putting at risk the lives of the entire traveling public aboard Boeing aircraft,” stated Jonathan Johnson, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs. “Relying on luck to prevent a potentially catastrophic incident involving a plane full of passengers is unacceptable.”
Despite the aircraft manufacturer acknowledging its responsibility for the blowout and committing to prevent such incidents in the future, the lawsuit aims to compel both companies to prioritize safety.
“We’ve received numerous expressions of sympathy for what we went through, and I can’t help but think, ‘It could have been much worse, even though it was already bad.’ I reflect on that almost every day,” shared Kyle Rinker.
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