Alaska Airlines passengers sue Boeing for $1bn after door plug blew off mid-flight

‘Our lives are gonna be forever changed now’, plaintiff Amanda Strickland said.

Three passengers, who were on board the Alaska Airlines flight which had to make an emergency landing after a door blew off the aircraft mid-flight, are suing Boeing for $1 billion.

The complaint, filed on 20 February, alleges that the aircraft manufacturer’s negligence caused the incident in early January.

Kyle Rinker, Amanda Strickland and Kevin Kwok were all on board Alaska Flight 1282 when the exit door plug in the middle of the plane fell off the aircraft and air began to rush out.

Phones, a teenager’s t-shirt and other personal items were sucked from the plane in the process, while passengers clung to seats and each other.

A photo after the incident shows the hole left behind by the dislodged door plug (via REUTERS)

The three plaintiffs, who were all sitting two rows diagonally back from the hole, are seeking “substantial punitive damages” from the manufacturer.

"I know that some people were able to text loved ones and say what was happening. We couldn’t even do that we just had to hold on to each other,” Ms Strickland told ABC News.

Ms Strickland and her boyfriend Kyle Rinker told the outlet that they could not hear their fellow passengers’ screams because the rushing air was so loud.

"It was horrible. Our lives are gonna be forever changed now,” she added. “Like I said, we don’t know if we’ll ever be able to get on a plane again.”

The lawsuit, filed by aviation law firm Jonathan W. Johnson, LLC, claims that Boeing should have carried out further inspections before the 737 Max 9 was placed in service.

A Boeing 737 MAX 9 for Alaska Airlines is pictured along with other 737 aircraft at Renton Municipal Airport adjacent to Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington, on 25 January 25, 2024 (AFP via Getty Images)

Investigations so far have found that four key bolts were missing from the panel which fell out of the plane as it flew from Portland, Oregon to Ontario in California. 174 passengers and six crew were on board.

Seven passengers and one flight attendant received minor injuries, with the plane making an emergency landing back in Portland.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines both pulled the 737 Max 9 from service while investigations got underway.

On Monday, the Federal Aviation Authority said that Boeing had failed to meet quality control standards during manufacturing, while another report raised concerns about staff being comfortable in reporting safety issues.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into the incident is still underway.

Alaska Airlines and Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for further comment from The Independent on Monday, while a Boeing spokesperson said the company had “nothing to add”.