Boeing Sued by Flight Attendants Over 737 MAX 9 Cabin Blowout Incident

Boeing is being sued by four flight attendants who were on board an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 aircraft that experienced a mid-air cabin blowout in January 2022. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for emotional and physical injuries, as well as economic damages, citing Boeing's negligence and failure to address lax production issues. The incident resulted in the aircraft being temporarily grounded and has been criticized by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Four flight attendants on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 aircraft have filed lawsuits against Boeing Co. (BA) following a mid-air cabin blowout incident in January 2022. The plaintiffs, represented by attorney Tracy Brammeier, are seeking compensation for emotional and physical injuries, as well as economic damages, citing Boeing's negligence and failure to address lax production issues [1][2][3][4].

The incident occurred when the aircraft experienced a sudden cabin blowout, causing damage to the fuselage and prompting the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to criticize Boeing for its failure to address production issues [5]. The aircraft was temporarily grounded following the incident, and no one was seriously injured.

The lawsuits, filed in Seattle's King County Superior Court, accuse Boeing of negligence and failure to exercise reasonable care in the production, sale, and repair of 737 MAX jets and their parts. The filings also allege that Boeing knew or should have known about the quality control issues present in its production process [4].

Boeing has declined to comment on the lawsuits, but the company has stated that it has cooperated with the NTSB investigation into the incident. The company has also supported the NTSB's investigation in a transparent and proactive manner [3][4].

The incident has sparked a crisis for Boeing and prompted the U.S. Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into the company and declare that Boeing was not in compliance with a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement [4]. The NTSB has criticized Boeing's safety culture and its failure to install four key bolts in the panel during production, and has accused the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of ineffective oversight [4].

The lawsuits come as Boeing faces various challenges and setbacks, including the grounding of the 737 MAX 9 aircraft and the certification process for the 777-9 aircraft [1]. Despite these challenges, Boeing has received relief from the FAA, which has greenlit the certification process for the 777-9 aircraft as it goes through a Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) [1].

References:
[1] https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/08/46788500/boeing-sued-for-negligence-by-flight-attendants-over-alaska-airlines-737-max-9-cabin-blowout
[2] https://abcnews.go.com/US/flight-attendants-alaska-airlines-door-plug-flight-sue/story?id=124266125
[3] https://en.tempo.co/read/2035130/four-alaska-airlines-flight-attendants-sue-boeing-over-2024-door-blowout
[4] https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-sued-by-flight-attendants-over-max-9-mid-air-panel-blowout-2025-08-01/
[5] https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/aerospace/boeing/alaska-airlines-flight-attendants-boeing-lawsuit/281-ea6c1f2c-7ab1-4382-a9c0-d514df77f05e