Vietnamese-American passenger files lawsuit.

On January 5th, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 belonging to Alaska Airlines took off from Portland, Oregon, and was en route to Ontario, California, when a section of its fuselage suddenly exploded.

The fuselage of the plane fell from an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters and was found in the garden of a teacher named Bob in Portland.

Passenger Cuong Tran, a Vietnamese-American, was one of the passengers on the ill-fated flight. He was seated in row 27, quite close to where the hole in the aircraft's fuselage appeared.

Even after the incident, Cuong Tran still couldn't forget what he went through. He recounted that when the Boeing's fuselage broke apart, his phone shattered due to the drop in pressure, and his shoes were sucked out of the plane despite being tightly tied beforehand.

His legs were almost sucked out of the plane, getting stuck in the seat in front of him. Luckily, he was safe because he had fastened his seatbelt correctly.

Anh Cường Trần. Ảnh: New York Post — Cuong Tran. Photo: New York Post

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Cuong Tran said: "I can never forget the moment my body was lifted up and then sucked down. This lasted for about 10-20 seconds. The passenger cabin was chaotic, but everyone tried to hold on to their seats. This was the first time in my life I was completely out of control."

Currently, Cuong Tran and six other passengers are suing Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and Spirit AeroSystems, a company that manufactures and installs aircraft doors.

In their lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court in Washington state, they stated that the accident caused them "severe distress, fear, and anxiety."

Nhân viên điều tra kiểm tra phần bị thổi bay khỏi máy bay Alaska Airlines. Ảnh: Reuters — Investigators examine the section that was blown off the Alaska Airlines plane. Photo: Reuters

Attorney Timothy A. Loranger stated, "Our clients—and possibly every passenger on that flight—suffered unnecessary trauma because Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems, and Alaska Airlines failed to ensure that the aircraft was in a safe and airworthy condition."

The lawyer added that five passengers (a family from Claremont, California) feared for their lives when a large gap appeared in the side of the plane. According to lawyer Loranger, Ket Tran and Tram Vo, along with their three sons, are receiving counseling to overcome the psychological trauma.

The plaintiffs are seeking damages, but the amount is unclear. However, the lawsuit does not specifically address whether the seatbelt prevented Cuong Tran from being sucked out of the plane.

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The lawyer handling the case estimates that the process will take several years.

Boeing declined to comment.

In an email sent to CBS , a spokesperson for Spirit Aerosystems wrote: "Spirit Aerosystems does not comment on pending litigation. We remain focused on our operations, customers, and employees."

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