Boeing is facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit from the pilot of the plane that was federally investigated after its door plug panel fell off mid-air during a 2024 flight.
The incident involving the Alaska Airlines plane went viral that year, with the National Transportation Safety Board later determining that four bolts meant to secure the door were missing due to manufacturing failures at the Boeing factory.
In the lawsuit filed in an Oregon court, Captain Brandon Fisher, the pilot in command, accused Boeing of wrongly seeking to blame him and other crew members for the accident in past legal filings.
“Boeing’s lie infuriated Captain Fisher as well, as he was being castigated for his actions as opposed to being lauded,” Fisher’s lawyers wrote, alleging that the company also unjustly suggested Emily Wiprud, the first officer, made mistakes that contributed to the incident.
“The pilot in command, Captain Brandon Fisher … and his first officer, Emily Wiprud… landed the aircraft safely despite harrowing circumstances in the cockpit. They should have been hailed as heroes. Instead, The Boeing Company attempted to shift blame, intentionally and falsely claiming that Captain Fisher and First Officer Wiprud made mistakes that contributed to the incident,” the lawsuit claims.
The Multnomah County Circuit Court will consider the case, as Fisher seeks $10 million for negligence, strict products liability, breach of warranty, emotional distress, and defamation.
Boeing attempted to deflect liability for the midair accident on Fisher and his crew in court documents the plane manufacturer filed March 11, 2024, according to the pilot’s lawsuit.
“Boeing denied liability for damages to passengers, claiming that it should not be held responsible for injuries because its products were ‘improperly maintained or misused by persons and/or entities other than Boeing,’” Fisher’s lawsuit stated. “It was clear Boeing’s words were directed at Captain Fisher in an attempt to paint him as the scapegoat for Boeing’s numerous failures.”
Along with Fisher, multiple passengers, as well as flight attendants, filed lawsuits against Boeing and Alaska Airlines following the door plug blowout.
None of the 177 people aboard flight 1282 were killed when the incident occurred in January 2024, though several suffered minor injuries.
NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy called the plane crew “heroes” and blamed Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration for the mishap during a congressional hearing on the matter last June.
BOEING UNDER SCRUTINY AGAIN FOLLOWING AIR INDIA CRASH
“The safety deficiencies that led to this accident should have been evident to Boeing and the FAA,” she told lawmakers. “This crew shouldn’t have had to be heroes. … This accident should never have happened. An accident like this only happens when there are multiple system failures.”
The FAA fined Boeing $3.1 million over safety violations following the accident.