It seems that the time has come for accountability after the tragic accident that occurred in a Boeing 737 MAX 9, one of the aircraft belonging to the company “Alaska Airlines“, last January, shortly after taking off from Portland International Airport, in the northwestern state of Oregon, in the United States. Heading to Ontario, California, the plane’s door suddenly blew-off amidst a state of shock and panic among the passengers.
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It appears that the cause of the accident was the plane’s door handle, which was improperly fixed, which led to it dislodging in the air and falling from a height of 5,000 meters.
Seven people who were forced to make an emergency landing on that flight filed a lawsuit against both Alaska Airlines and Boeing, the manufacturer, as well as Spirit Aero Systems, which specializes in supplying parts for Boeing aircraft.
One of Boeing’s plaintiffs, Ho Quang Tran, a passenger who was sitting in a window seat directly behind the door seal, suffered physical injuries due to the intense rush of air inside the plane’s cabin and a rapid drop in pressure.
According to Tran’s testimony, his seat belt was his only savior when air rushed into the plane, tearing off his clothes and taking out his iPhone.
Previous Lawsuits and Claims For Billions of Dollars in Damages
The latest lawsuit was filed in Superior Court in King County, Washington, and is one of several previous lawsuits filed by other passengers who were on the same horrific flight, including another lawsuit filed in King County representing 22 passengers, one was filed by three passengers from Oregon seeking $1 billion in damages, and another was filed in federal court representing 33 passengers.
Boeing Airplane Doors are Unsafe
The report issued by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that four fasteners for securing the doors were missing from the main handle on the plane’s door.
This prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground some Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft while the investigation was ongoing, and the US Department of Justice began a criminal investigation into the company.
The incident increased pressure on Boeing, which was already under accountability after two 737 Max 8 planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people.
Although the Alaska flight last January was able to land safely, and there were no serious injuries, lawyers in the recent lawsuit say that many passengers were psychologically traumatized.
It is noteworthy that one of the lawsuits claimed that the accident resulted in the failure of oxygen masks and the passengers suffering various injuries as a result of the spread of debris and a decrease in pressure inside the plane.
Inspections of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft have expanded around the world, two days after the horrific aviation accidents occurred, following directives issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Source: The Guardian
