An Alaska Airlines pilot, Captain Brandon Fisher, has filed a lawsuit against Boeing for $10 million in damages, alleging that the aircraft manufacturer tried to blame him for a midair cabin panel blowout incident.
The incident occurred on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 Max 9, which had to make an emergency landing after a cabin door plug blew out mid-flight shortly after departing Portland, Oregon on January 5, 2024. Thankfully, all 177 people on board survived.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that “multiple system failures” by Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) led to the incident.
Fisher’s lawsuit claims that Boeing denied responsibility and attempted to shift blame onto him by stating that their products were “improperly maintained or misused by persons and/or entities other than Boeing.” The lawsuit alleges that Boeing’s actions were part of a post-accident strategy to blame pilots for incidents caused by their own actions.
As a result of Boeing’s remarks, Fisher suffered emotional distress, exacerbating the impact of the incident on him. In August, four flight attendants from the same flight also filed separate lawsuits against Boeing for physical and emotional injuries.
Both aviation officials and Boeing executives have commended the crew of Flight 1282 for their handling of the emergency. Boeing stated that they continue to implement a comprehensive safety and quality plan, developed with employee feedback and regulatory oversight.
Alaska Airlines refrained from commenting on the lawsuit but praised the crew of Flight 1282 for their bravery and quick-thinking in ensuring the safety of everyone on board.
Fisher’s lawyers, William Walsh and Richard Mummolo, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
FOX Business’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.
