Alaska Airlines and Boeing have settled with three passengers who sued for $1 billion after a door plug blew out midflight on January 5, 2024.
The lawsuit, which cited emotional and physical trauma, was officially dismissed on July 7, 2025, after both sides reached a private agreement.
The incident happened aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport.
According to FoxBusiness, the plane was heading to Ontario, California, when the door plug came loose at around 16,000 feet. The aircraft quickly turned back and landed safely in Portland.
Court documents show that some of the 174 passengers reported hearing a whistling noise and alerted the crew.
After the pilot checked cockpit instruments and found nothing unusual, the flight continued until the sudden blowout.
Although no serious injuries were reported, passengers said they experienced extreme stress, anxiety, trauma, and hearing problems.
Share this maximum. @Boeing is having a huge baggage on its head for using substandard parts.
— Tathvam-asi (@ssaratht) June 19, 2025
Whistleblowers are k!lled. Boeing agreed to pay $1.1Billion to settle lawsuits
There’s more than that meets the eye in #AirIndiaPlaneCrash #AhmedabadPlaneCrash pic.twitter.com/Eh23ti6ctC
FAA Grounds Boeing 737 MAX 9 After Safety Concerns
Investigations later revealed that four bolts meant to secure the door plug were missing. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that Boeing was at fault and criticized the company for poor oversight and lack of proper training at its factory.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded by grounding all Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes for safety checks. Alaska Airlines removed more than 60 of these aircraft from service for inspections.
"Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements," said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker, stressing the need for stronger leadership and accountability at the company.
Before this latest settlement, Boeing had already paid Alaska Airlines $160 million in initial compensation for the incident.
The door plug failure added to Boeing's long list of troubles. Just last month, the company pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to earlier crashes of the 737 MAX 8 and agreed to pay over $243 million in fines, along with additional safety investments, DailyBeast said.
Neither Boeing nor Alaska Airlines responded to media requests for comment following the July 7 resolution.
The incident on Flight 1282, though it ended without fatalities, shook public confidence in air safety and raised new concerns over Boeing's manufacturing processes.
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