The captain of the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max that suffered a catastrophic mid-air door plug blowout in January 2024 is now taking the aircraft manufacturer to court, seeking $10 million in damages.
The Lawsuit and Allegations of Deflection
Captain Brandon Fisher, who was at the controls of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on 5 January 2024, has filed a complaint in Multnomah County, Oregon. The legal action comes after a preliminary report from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found Boeing was at fault for the incident, citing missing bolts on the door plug.
In his filing, Fisher accuses Boeing of attempting to make him and First Officer Emily Wiprud scapegoats for the company's failures. He claims that instead of acknowledging the crew's skill in safely landing the crippled aircraft at Portland International Airport, Boeing's lawyers argued the jet had been "improperly maintained or misused" by others.
"Instead of praising Captain Fisher’s bravery, Boeing inexplicably impugned the reputations of the pilots," the lawsuit states, arguing this has subjected Fisher to intense scrutiny and named him as a defendant in other passenger lawsuits.
The Mid-Air Emergency and NTSB Findings
The incident, which occurred shortly after takeoff, saw a door plug near the 26th row detach violently. This caused a rapid depressurisation and left a gaping 2-by-4 foot hole in the fuselage. Despite the terrifying situation, Fisher and Wiprud managed to return the plane to Portland without any serious physical injuries or fatalities among the 171 passengers and six crew.
The subsequent NTSB investigation concluded that Boeing employees had failed to reinstall key bolts that secured the door plug during production. This finding directly contradicted Boeing's initial attempts to shift responsibility away from its manufacturing processes.
Wider Fallout and Ongoing Legal Battles
Fisher's lawsuit is not the only legal action stemming from the door plug blowout. Last year, three passengers from the same flight sued Boeing and Alaska Airlines for a collective $1 billion, though that case was settled out of court in July 2025.
Fisher contends that the emotional distress and damage to his professional reputation caused by Boeing's actions have severely impacted his quality of life. His case underscores the deepening legal and reputational crisis for Boeing, as it faces intense regulatory and public scrutiny over the safety of its 737 Max aircraft.
