Anyone who's been on a plane knows that turbulence can be pretty scary. But, after all, it's pretty much always okay. As someone who's scared of flying, it's always the least favorite part of my flight, but I tend to close my eyes, and then it's over as quickly as it started.
But for one Washington passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight, things were not so chill. As reported by the Daily Mail, 48-year-old Natalie Russell has filed a lawsuit against the airliner.
This comes as she deemed that the flight between Seattle and Phoenix on the day after Christmas in 2024 was "flying into danger." The lawsuit alleges the pilots were aware of this and chose not to divert the flight path.
Russell said that despite warnings about the turbulence, it left her "fearing for her life", with "extreme distress" to boot. The lawsuit claims the plane "violently and dramatically plunged" over 200 feet, causing her neck and head injuries.
More specifically, "her cell phone flew out of her hand, her ear buds popped out, her drink spilled, and she started crying from the terror."
The turbulence was apparently so severe that passengers hit their heads against the overhead bins. This came even as they were wearing seatbelts. So, you're probably wondering about the flight attendants?
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The Suit Alleges That the Flight Attendants Were in "Extreme Pain" From the Turbulence
The lawsuit said the "flight attendants were seen bleeding profusely as they screamed and moaned loudly, clearly in extreme pain." It was so bad that they were forced to "lie on the floor".
One flight attendant was apparently still collapsed when the plane landed. "The flight attendant may have been partially paralyzed or otherwise permanently injured", according to the litigation.
There might be some backing for these claims from the National Transportation Safety Board. A "significant meteorological information" notice was given to the flight, meaning that they were previously warned.
Alaska Airlines has released a statement regarding the matter. While they refused to comment as the litigation was ongoing, they did say, "Safety is our highest priority, and we take all reports and incidents involving turbulence seriously."
