PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Four flight attendants who were aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 when the aircraft’s door plug detached after taking off from Portland International Airport have filed a lawsuit against the plane’s manufacturer Boeing.

The lawsuits, filed in Washington’s King County Superior Court in Seattle on July 29, allege Boeing was negligent in the manufacture, sale and repair of the aircraft and argue that the aerospace giant is liable for the incident.

“When the door plug blew off the aircraft on flight 1282, each of the four flight attendants acted courageously, following their training and putting their passengers’ safety first while fearing for their lives,” said Tracy Brammeier, a partner at Clifford Law Offices representing the flight crew. “They deserve to be wholly compensated for this life-altering traumatic experience caused by Boeing’s negligence in the 737 MAX production process.”

The complaints go back to January 5, 2024, when Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 — a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft — departed PDX heading toward Ontario, California. Once the plane reached 16,000 feet, a door plug detached from the plane, leaving a “substantial hole in the fuselage,” the complaints explain — noting a door plug mimics a door, sealing the aircraft to allow the plane to pressurize.

“The resulting sudden decompression of the aircraft caused panic throughout the aircraft, and oxygen masks were deployed,” the lawsuits said, adding, “The suction from the decompression was so significant that the door of the cockpit was forced open, and clothing was torn from the bodies of passengers.”

In an exclusive interview with CBS News, Flight 1282 Pilot Emily Wiprud detailed the moment the door plug blew off the plane, saying she felt an explosion and was forced forward with her headset ripped off. The flight returned to PDX within a half hour of departing, but Wiprud said she had no idea there was a hole in the plane until she landed at PDX.

The lawsuits then point to an investigation from the National Transportation Safety Board, which found that the bolts meant to hold the door plug in place were removed and never replaced.

“Prior to the detachment of the door plug, on or about August 31, 2023, Boeing took possession of the fuselage from its supplier at its Renton facility in King County. Upon inspection, Boeing’s employees and/or agents identified damaged rivets on the door and a compromised pressure seal, which required Boeing to remove the door plug to perform necessary repairs,” the complaints state. “On September 6, 2023, individuals working at Boeing’s Washington facility reported that the defective rivets had been repaired. But on September 7, Boeing discovered that the damaged rivets had not been repaired but were merely ‘painted over.’ The necessary repairs were eventually completed on September 19, 2023.”

The lawsuits continue, “The subject door plug was re-installed but was not secured with needed and required hardware, fixtures, components, and/or products, which left the door plug in a very dangerous condition with a high risk of failure in flight. The removal of the door plug was never formally documented in Boeing’s Production Management System. As a result, the door plug was not subject to reinspection to confirm that it was properly re-installed and secured prior to delivery of the aircraft.”

As a result of the door plug incident, the flight crew — Steven Maller, Adam Fisher, Michelle Hughes and Christine Vasconcellos — claim they suffered physical and mental injuries along with severe emotional distress. The lawsuits seek economic damages in an amount proven at the time of trial.

The crew argues that Boeing was negligent and should have known about the risks associated with its work practices, arguing the company failed to exercise reasonable care in the manufacturing of the 737s.

Additionally, the lawsuits claim outrage, alleging, “Boeing’s conduct as described herein was so extreme in degree and outrageous in character as to go beyond all possible bounds of decency and to be regarded as atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community.”

In a statement shared with KOIN 6 News, crew member Michelle Hughes explained, “This act of negligence caused both physical and mental damages which profoundly impaired my personal and professional life. It also resulted in many challenges to return to my dream job that I had proudly made my career.” 

Crew member Christine Vasconcellos added, “This event is something that never should have happened. I’m committed to seeking justice, accountability and making the sky a safe place.”

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Boeing declined to provide a statement in response to the litigation.

A spokesperson for Alaska Airlines told KOIN 6 News that the company does not comment on pending litigation, noting, “We are grateful to our crew members for the bravery and quick-thinking that they displayed on Flight 1282 in ensuring the safety of all on board.”