Passenger describes nightmare Alaska flight: 'I had no control'

What he lived in A flight – nightmare Ha Alaska Airlines Last January, a California man described standing inches from a crater that exploded in the air.

Quang Tran, Speaking to the BBCHe said how What saved him was the seat beltWhile his cell phone, shoes and socks were found in the void during an uncontrolled decompression at 16,000 feet above Portland when the hole opened up in the plane. Tran is one of seven passengers who They filed a lawsuit v. Boeing, Alaska Airlines, and Spirit AeroSystems.

None of the plane's 177 passengers and crew were killed, except for Tran, who was sitting next to his friend. One row behind the separate sectionHe suffered a leg injury.

“This was probably the first time in my life that I felt like I had no control at all.”

The 40-year-old said the accident occurred shortly after take-off: “The captain said we had passed 10,000 feet. Then The hole opened up and I remember my body rising. Then the strong wind pushed my entire lower body down.”

He added that the decompression lasted about 10 or 20 seconds, and described looking at other passengers who could not understand what was happening: “It was probably the first time in my life that I felt that way.” I had no control at all. “I was in a state of panic about the whole situation.”

“This feeling of being out of control is so scary. The decompression was so strong and I was holding on to it. Both my shoes were gone. My phone was gone,” he added.

“The scariest moment was the waiting.”

Then the plane rose forced landing At Portland International Airport.

The 40-year-old added:They said it took 30 minutes, but it felt like much longer. I didn't have a phone, so I had no idea what time it was, so I was just sitting there looking at the hole the whole time and hoping it wouldn't get any more damage.

“That was the scariest moment – the waiting. My body is healing, but there is a big scar on my leg. “I don’t know if he will leave at some point,” 40-year-old Kwong added. Tran is one of several passengers who have filed a lawsuit against the three companies, alleging that the accident resulted in them being physically and…Serious emotional “Weight“Fear and anxiety.”

Lawyer Timothy Loranger told the BBC that the legal process could take “a few years” because there are so many people involved.