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The pilot of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX jet that lost a door plug during a January 2024 flight has filed a lawsuit against Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, alleging the companies wrongly blamed him for the incident.
Captain Brandon Fisher of Vancouver, Washington, filed the lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The complaint seeks $10 million in damages and names Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems Inc., and Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. as defendants.
The NTSB released these images of investigators inspecting the door plug and the aircraft. (NTSB)
Incident occurred shortly after takeoff from Portland
The lawsuit stems from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which departed Portland International Airport on Jan. 5, 2024, bound for Ontario, California. Minutes after takeoff, a mid-exit door plug panel blew off the aircraft at about 16,000 feet, causing rapid decompression.
The pilots returned the aircraft safely to Portland. Passengers and crew suffered only minor injuries, according to the filing.
Lawsuit describes actions in the cockpit
In the complaint, attorneys describe the actions taken by Fisher and his first officer as they worked to land the aircraft safely.
The lawsuit states, quote, "If not for Captain Fisher’s heroism and immense display of composure under pressure, the outcome would’ve been catastrophic."
This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows an opening in the fuselage where a door plug fell from Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, on Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. On Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, the National Transportation Safety … (National Transportation Safety Board)
NTSB found missing bolts on aircraft
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation later found the aircraft left Boeing’s factory missing key bolts that were intended to secure the door plug, according to findings referenced in the lawsuit.
The complaint alleges the missing hardware allowed the panel to separate from the fuselage during flight and says the issue stemmed from manufacturing and inspection failures involving Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems.
Pilot alleges Boeing deflected blame
Despite the NTSB findings, the lawsuit claims Boeing denied responsibility in later court filings related to passenger lawsuits.
According to the complaint, Boeing asserted that its products were "improperly maintained or misused by persons and/or entities other than Boeing."
The lawsuit says those statements were directed at Fisher and his first officer, effectively shifting blame onto the flight crew.
Fisher cites emotional distress, reputational harm
Fisher alleges that being portrayed as responsible for the incident caused ongoing emotional distress and reputational harm. The lawsuit says he has faced lasting physical and emotional effects following the flight and the subsequent public scrutiny.
The filing also notes Fisher was later named in passenger lawsuits, further compounding the stress he attributes to Boeing’s statements.
Boeing's safety and quality plan
Boeing told FOX 13 Seattle it was not commenting on pending litigation.
Boeing leaders commended the pilots for their actions in a Jan. 8, 2024 email to all staff and during a safety webcast video the following day.
"We commend the pilots and cabin crew of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 for their actions to safely land the plane," former BCA President and CEO Stan Deal wrote in the email. "And we are grateful the airline shared that all passengers have been medically cleared."
The company has said it has taken a comprehensive look at safety in the two years since the incident to develop a plan submitted to the FAA to strengthen safety management, quality assurance and safety culture.
Damages and next steps
The lawsuit includes claims of negligence, strict products liability, breach of warranty, emotional distress, and defamation. Fisher is requesting $10 million in damages and has demanded a jury trial.
The case remains pending in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
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The Source: Information in this story came from a lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Boeing, Alaska Airlines and previous FOX 13 Seattle original reporting.