Captain Brandon Fisher, the Alaska Airlines pilot who safely landed a Boeing 737 Max 9 after a part of the aircraft’s fuselage blew off mid-air in January 2024, has filed a lawsuit against Boeing. He alleges that the aircraft manufacturer tried to wrongly shift the blame onto him and the flight crew for an incident that was later confirmed to be caused by a manufacturing defect.

Fisher was widely praised by aviation authorities, including the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), for ensuring the safe return of Flight 1282 with 177 people on board. No lives were lost, though several passengers and a cabin crew member suffered minor injuries.

Why is the pilot suing Boeing then?

In his lawsuit, filed in an Oregon court, Fisher says Boeing suggested that the aircraft was “improperly maintained or misused” by others, implying that the airline crew may have been responsible for the incident. Fisher’s lawyers argue that these statements caused some passengers to file lawsuits against him, leading to severe emotional distress.

His legal team stated that Boeing’s comments attempted to make him a “scapegoat” for what were actually manufacturing failures.

What investigators found?

The NTSB investigation later revealed that four key bolts that were meant to secure the door plug panel were removed during aircraft assembly and were never reinstalled. The missing bolts allowed the panel to gradually move out of position over 154 flights before it finally blew off mid-air.

Both Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, were linked to the manufacturing lapse. Importantly, investigators confirmed that these bolts were hidden behind interior panels, meaning they could not have been detected during routine pre-flight checks by the pilots or airline staff.

The blowout happened shortly after the flight took off from Portland, creating a sudden loss of cabin pressure. A 2-foot-by-4-foot section of the aircraft’s fuselage near the left wing tore off, causing a loud vacuum inside the cabin.

Seven passengers and one flight attendant suffered minor injuries, but the aircraft returned safely to Portland thanks to the quick actions of the flight crew. Only seven seats on the aircraft were unoccupied at the time, including the two seats closest to the blown-out panel.

Boeing factory workers later told investigators that they were under pressure to work too quickly and were sometimes assigned tasks they were not properly trained for.

Despite being praised by Boeing executives and safety regulators for their handling of the emergency, Fisher says Boeing’s legal statements made him feel personally betrayed, especially after spending his entire flying career operating Boeing aircraft.

Aviation safety experts have also stated that the flight crew handled the emergency in an exemplary manner and were not at fault in any way.

Boeing has not directly commented on Fisher’s lawsuit. However, since August 2024, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has made improving safety a top priority at the company.

Following the incident, the FAA fined Boeing $3.1 million for safety violations. In October, the regulator allowed Boeing to gradually increase production of the 737 Max after inspectors were satisfied with the company’s safety improvements.

Alaska Airlines said it remains grateful to its crew for their courage and quick thinking in ensuring passenger safety, but declined to comment on the lawsuit.