‘Whistling Sound’ Heard on Previous Boeing Max 9 Flight Before Door Plug Blowout, Lawsuit Alleges

This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been at the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Ore. A “whistling sound” was heard on a previous flight of the Boeing 737 Max 9 whose door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5, an attorney representing passengers in a lawsuit against the companies said in new court documents filed Wednesday, Feb. 7. National Transportation Safety Board via AP

PORTLAND, Ore.—A “whistling sound” was heard on a previous flight of the Boeing 737 Max 9 whose door plug blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, an attorney representing passengers in a lawsuit said in new court documents.

Mark Lindquist is representing 22 passengers of Alaska Airlines flight 1282, which made a harrowing emergency landing in Portland last month after a door plug blew out of the Boeing fuselage just minutes after takeoff. The plane landed safely and there were no serious injuries among the 171 passengers and six crew members.