Pilot Who Landed Plane After Panel Blew Out Sues Boeing, Claims Company Unfairly Blamed Him
An Alaska Airlines pilot who was universally praised as a hero after safely landing a Boeing jet after a door plug panel flew off shortly after takeoff is suing the company because he says the plane maker wrongly tried to blame him and the rest of the crew.
Captainn Brandon Fisher received accolades from the heads of the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA, along with some Boeing executives, when he safely landed flight 1282 in January 2024 with 177 people on board.
According to Fisher's lawyers, however, Boeing's attempts to deflect liability in past lawsuits caused some passengers to sue the pilot, causing him great distress, AP reports. Four flight attendants previously sued Boeing over the incident last summer.
Fisher claims that Boeing suggested it wasn't responsible because the plane was 'improperly maintained or misused' by others.
"It was clear Boeing’s words were directed at Captain Fisher in attempt to paint him as the scapegoat for Boeing’s numerous failures," his lawyers, William Walsh and Richard Mummolo wrote in their lawsuit filed in an Oregon court.
Bolts Were Missing
An NTSB investigation of the incident revealed that four bolts securing what is known as the door plug panel were removed and never replaced during a repair on the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft while it was being assembled. Both Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems - which has since been acquired by Boeing, were both implicated.
The bolts in question are hidden behind interior panels on the plane, so they aren't something that could have been easily checked in a preflight inspection by the pilot or anyone else from the airline (i.e. Boeing's assembly line was responsible). NTSB investigators concluded that the door plug was gradually moving upward over the plane's 154 flights prior to the incident before ultimately flying off.
"Boeing’s lie infuriated Captain Fisher as well, as he was being castigated for his actions as opposed to being lauded," wrote Fisher's attorneys. "Because he had flown Boeing aircraft for the entirety of his employment with Alaska Airlines, Boeing’s attempts to blame him felt like a deep, personal betrayal by a company that claimed to hold pilots in the highest regard."
The NTSB was unequivocal in its determination that this was a manufacturing issue, and the crew's actions were exemplary.
The Blowout
The incident occurred minutes after the flight took off from Portland, Oregon - creating a significant air vacuum in the cabin. Seven passengers and a flight attendant sustained minor injuries, but Fisher was able to land the plane safely.
The blowout caused a 2x4 foot piece of fuselage covering an unused emergency exit behind the left wing to be ejected from the plane.
During the investigation, Boeing factory workers told NTSB investigators that they felt pressured to work too fast, and were asked to perform duties they weren't properly trained for.