'Whistling sound' heard on previous Boeing Max 9 flight before door plug blowout, lawsuit alleges

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. Lindquist filed a lawsuit against Boeing and Alaska Airlines on behalf of four passengers in Washington state's King County Superior Court last month, accusing the companies of negligence. On Wednesday, he filed an amended complaint that adds 18 additional passenger plaintiffs and includes the new allegations concerning the previous flight. According to the complaint, passengers on the earlier flight heard the sound "coming from the vicinity of the door plug.” They brought it to the attention of flight attendants, who then “reportedly informed” a pilot, according to the complaint. After the pilot checked cockpit instruments and found readings to be normal, no further action was taken, the complaint says. Lindquist said he became aware of the new claims after “a couple” of people contacted his law firm. He did not specify who they were and declined to confirm whether they were passengers or crew members on the previous flight. He said he did not speak with them directly, but learned of their “whistling sound” allegations through his legal team. He also declined to specify when the previous flight occurred. When reached by the AP, Boeing declined to comment and Alaska Airlines said it does not comment on pending litigation.<br/>