Pilot of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 sues Boeing and subcontractor for $10 million

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The pilot of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 is suing the plane’s manufacturer and subcontractor for $10 million, according to a lawsuit filed in Multnomah County.

CONTINUING COVERAGE | Alaska Airlines Flight 1282

Captain Brandon Fisher was behind the controls of the Boeing 737 MAX-9 when a rear door plug failed, leaving a hole in the side of the aircraft just after it had taken off from Portland International Airport.

“The pilot in command, Captain Brandon Fisher (“Plaintiff” or “Captain Fisher”), and his first officer, Emily Wiprud (“First Officer Wiprud”), landed the aircraft safely despite harrowing circumstances in the cockpit,” the lawsuit states. “They should have been hailed as heroes. Instead, The Boeing Company (“Boeing”) attempted to shift blame, intentionally and falsely claiming that Captain Fisher and First Officer Wiprud made mistakes that contributed to the incident.”

The suit, filed in Multnomah County on December 30, 2025, states that Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems’ actions have had a “dramatic and life-altering impact on Captain Fisher.”

“Instead of praising Captain Fisher’s bravery, Boeing inexplicably impugned the reputations of the pilots who had prevented Boeing from having to explain to the families of all passengers and crew why its defective aircraft had resulted in the loss of their loved ones,” the suit states.

Lawyers say that Boeing attempted to place the blame of the incident on the captain and first officer of Alaska Flight 1282. In May of 2024, the FBI informed Captain Fisher that he may have been the victim of criminally negligent conduct by Boeing, according to the suit.

“Federal authorities concluded what had been obvious to everyone: Captain Fisher and First Officer Wiprud had acted heroically, and the fault for what occurred fell squarely on the shoulders of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. Regrettably, the damage engendered by Boeing’s defamatory comments lingered and continue to do so to this day,” the suit states.

According to the suit, Fisher is a Vancouver, Washington resident.

KATU News has reached out to Boeing for comment but has not received a reply by publication time.