On January 5, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 of the American airline Alaska Airlines took off from Portland (Oregon) and was en route to Ontario (California) when a section of its fuselage suddenly exploded.
The fuselage fell off at an altitude of nearly 5,000 m and was found in the garden of a teacher named Bob in Portland.
Passenger Cuong Tran, a Vietnamese-American, was among the passengers on the crashed flight. He was sitting in row 27, quite close to where the hole in the fuselage appeared.
After the incident, Mr. Cuong Tran still could not forget what he had experienced. He said that when the Boeing's fuselage was torn apart, his phone cracked due to the loss of pressure, and his shoes were sucked out of the plane despite being tied very tightly beforehand.
His legs were almost sucked out of the plane, trapping him in the seat in front of him. Fortunately, he was safe because he was properly fastened in his seat belt.
Mr. Cuong Tran. Photo: New York Post
Mr. Cuong Tran said: "I can never forget the moment my body was lifted up and then sucked down. This phenomenon lasted for about 10-20 seconds. The passenger compartment was extremely chaotic at that time but everyone tried to hold on to their seats. This was the first time in my life that I could not control everything."
Currently, Mr. Cuong Tran and six other passengers are suing Alaska Airlines, Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, a company that manufactures and installs aircraft doors.
In a lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court in Washington state, they said the accident caused them "severe distress, fear and anxiety."
Investigators examine the part blown off the Alaska Airlines plane. Photo: Reuters
“Our clients — and potentially every passenger on that flight — suffered unnecessary injury due to the failure of Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, and Alaska Airlines to ensure that the aircraft was in safe and airworthy condition,” said attorney Timothy A. Loranger.
The attorney added that five passengers (a family from Claremont, California) feared for their lives when a large gap appeared in the side of the plane. According to attorney Loranger, Ket Tran and Tram Vo and their three sons are receiving counseling to help them overcome the trauma.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages. However, the lawsuit does not specifically mention whether wearing a seat belt prevented Cuong Tran from being sucked out of the plane.
The attorney in charge of the case said the process would take several years.
Boeing declined to comment.
In an email to CBS , a Spirit Aerosystems spokesperson wrote: "Spirit Aerosystems does not comment on pending litigation. We continue to focus on our operations, customers and employees."
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