A courageous pilot has filed a lawsuit against Boeing, accusing the aircraft manufacturer of trying to blame him for an emergency landing incident. Brandon Fisher skillfully landed Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 at Portland International Airport after a door plug panel detached shortly after takeoff, ensuring the safety of all 171 passengers and six crew members on board.
Legal representatives for Mr. Fisher claim that Boeing has a history of shifting responsibility in similar cases. Despite previous lawsuits from flight attendants over the same incident, Boeing allegedly denied liability, suggesting that maintenance issues or misuse by others were to blame for the January 2024 incident.
In a lawsuit filed in an Oregon court, Mr. Fisher’s lawyers, William Walsh and Richard Mummolo, stated that Boeing’s attempt to scapegoat Captain Fisher for their own failures was evident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Boeing executives all praised Mr. Fisher for his heroic actions during the emergency.
An investigation by the NTSB revealed that the detachment of the door plug panel was due to the absence of four bolts during the assembly of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. These critical bolts, concealed behind interior panels, went unnoticed during routine preflight inspections, gradually leading to the panel detachment.
Mr. Fisher’s legal team condemned Boeing’s alleged falsehoods, emphasizing that the pilot’s experience with Boeing aircraft made the blame-shifting particularly hurtful. The NTSB confirmed the manufacturing issue as the root cause and commended the crew for their outstanding performance in handling the situation.
While Boeing refrained from commenting directly on the lawsuit, CEO Kelly Ortberg has emphasized safety enhancements since assuming leadership in August 2024. Alaska Airlines chose not to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings but expressed gratitude towards the crew for their bravery and quick actions in ensuring the safety of all individuals aboard Flight 1282.