On January 5, the door plug blew out on a flight above Oregon causing an emergency landing and a massive federal probe into airline safety.
Additional passengers who suffered through the traumatic in-flight blowout of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737B airliner are suing, with one passenger saying that the seat belt is the only reason he's alive as his shoes and socks were sucked out of a gaping hole caused by structural failure.
In total seven passengers filed suit in King County of Washington State against Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Spirit AeroSystems, and 10 other unnamed individuals. The flight was en route from Seattle to Ontario, California.
Cuong Tran, a plaintiff who made headlines when his phone was found in Oregon and returned to him intact, was seated in the row behind where the hole appeared.
Tran told reporters that he could feel the pull from the suction as the aircraft depressurized.
His shoes and socks were sucked out and he injured his foot when it hit off the seat in front of him.
'I was just dozing off, my phone in hand, and then the captain messaged we were above 10,000 feet. Next thing I know, I hear this whoosh sound - really strong-sounding wind,' Tran told The Los Angeles Times in January.
He went on to add, 'My shoe and sock got sucked out of the airplane, along with my phone'.
The subsequent investigation found that crucial bolts were missing from the door plug that blew off the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Department of Justice announced it is reopening its criminal investigation into the incident last week.'Our clients - and likely every passenger on that flight - suffered unnecessary trauma due to the failure of Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, and Alaska Airlines to ensure that the aircraft was in a safe and airworthy condition,' attorney Timothy A. Loranger said.
The plaintiffs are seeking punitive damages and compensation due to negligence and failing to protect passengers.
'In an event like this, it's normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation,' Alaska Airlines said in a prepared statement. 'We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.'
The nearly catastrophic incident preceded a series of safety failures on Boeing aircraft in the past year.
