Passenger Sues Alaska Airlines Over Violent Mid-Air Turbulence

An Alaska Airlines passenger has filed a negligence lawsuit after a terrifying turbulence incident left several crew members injured and allegedly caused her long-term physical and emotional trauma. The lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court by passenger Natalie Russell, who was onboard Alaska Airlines flight AS-700 from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on December 26, 2024. According to the complaint, the Boeing 737-9 suddenly dropped around 200 feet within seconds while flying over Nevada, which caused chaos inside the cabin.

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What Happened Mid-Air

The incident reportedly took place at around 1:35 pm while the aircraft was cruising near Henderson, Nevada, as reported by Aviation A2Z. A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the crew had already anticipated turbulence in the area. They had switched on the seatbelt signs before the aircraft entered severe turbulence.

Passengers had been instructed to return to their seats and buckle up. However, the turbulence turned out to be much stronger than expected. According to the report, two working flight attendants and another off-duty crew member seated in the rear jumpseat were violently thrown into the air.

Passenger Describes Horrifying Scene

Russell, who was seated near the back of the plane, said the cabin quickly turned chaotic. In the lawsuit, she claimed that despite wearing her seatbelt, she was thrown upward hard enough to hit the ceiling. Her phone flew from her hand, her earbuds came out and drinks spilt across nearby seats.

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She also described seeing passengers slam into the ceiling. “There was panic and terror on the subject flight, both for passengers and flight attendants. Multiple people were injured, screaming and crying. Bleeding flight attendants were lying on the floor,” the complaint stated. One passenger reportedly described the scene as looking “like a war zone.”

Why The Flight Continued To Phoenix

Instead of diverting to another airport, the pilots decided to continue flying to Phoenix. According to the NTSB report, diverting would have required the aircraft to pass through even more severe turbulence. Emergency medical teams were arranged before landing. Paramedics later boarded the aircraft to assist injured crew members.

While the NTSB report said no passengers were officially injured, Russell had something else to say. According to her, she later sought treatment for head and neck pain and now suffers from severe travel anxiety, stress and trauma linked to the incident. The lawsuit claims she has even fainted during another flight since the turbulence event. The NTSB investigation into the incident is still ongoing.