Four Alaska Airlines flight attendants have filed lawsuits against Boeing, seeking damages related to a January 2024 incident in which a 737 MAX 9 suffered a mid-air cabin panel blowout. The Flight 1282 crew members are claiming physical and mental harm, Reuters reports, as well as ongoing economic losses. "Each of the four flight attendants acted courageously, following their training and putting their passengers' safety first while fearing for their lives," Tracy Brammeier, the lawyer representing each of the plaintiffs, said.
The filing, lodged in King County Superior Court in Seattle, accuses Boeing of negligence and failing to adequately ensure the safety of the 737 MAX aircraft. The plaintiffs argue that Boeing either knew or should have known about persistent quality control problems in the MAX line's production, maintenance, and parts. Boeing did not comment on the lawsuits, and Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to requests for comment. "This event is something that never should have happened," flight attendant Christine Vasconcellos said in a statement, per the Seattle Times.
The panel failure triggered a wider crisis for Boeing, leading to a criminal investigation by the US Justice Department. Federal authorities later determined that Boeing had failed to comply with a prior deferred prosecution agreement from 2021, per Reuters. The National Transportation Safety Board subsequently faulted Boeing for poor oversight and safety practices, specifically citing the company's failure to install four critical bolts in the affected panel. The NTSB also criticized both Boeing's training procedures and the Federal Aviation Administration's ability to monitor the manufacturer effectively.
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