Boeing and Aviation Safety

Captain Brandon Fisher, who safely landed an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 after a door‑plug panel blew out, has sued Boeing in Oregon state court accusing the company of scapegoating him by suggesting in prior filings that the jet was improperly maintained or misused. The NTSB found four assembly bolts securing the door plug had been removed and never replaced—allowing the plug to migrate over 154 flights while hidden behind interior panels not reachable in preflight checks—and Fisher’s lawyers and aviation experts say Boeing’s liability‑shifting arguments prompted passengers to name him personally, causing significant emotional distress despite regulators praising the crew’s response.