Two Washington residents are suing Delta Air Lines and the Port of Seattle after an electrical fire allegedly filled a jet with smoke and forced an emergency evacuation at Sea-Tac Airport.
The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court and later moved to federal court, stems from a May 6, 2024 incident involving a Delta flight that was arriving from Cancun, Mexico.
According to the complaint, the Airbus plane had landed safely at Sea-Tac and parked at Gate A10 when ground crews connected the aircraft to external electrical power.
That’s when an electrical fire ignited near the aircraft’s nose gear beneath the cockpit. Passengers were still onboard when smoke began filling the cabin, according to the complaint.
“The flight crew declared an emergency,” the lawsuit states.
Emergency exits were opened and inflatable evacuation slides were deployed as passengers evacuated onto the tarmac.
Plaintiffs Elizabeth Wenker and Michael Zahler allege they suffered physical, emotional, and other injuries during the evacuation process.
“Their injuries occurred both on the aircraft and in the course of disembarking,” the lawsuit states.
They accuse Delta of negligence and claim the airline failed to maintain safe aircraft and ground equipment, failed to prevent the fire, and failed to properly manage the emergency evacuation.
The complaint also alleges Delta violated multiple federal aviation safety regulations related to aircraft maintenance, fire prevention procedures, and emergency response planning.
The Port of Seattle is separately accused of negligence tied to airport ground power equipment used during servicing of the aircraft.
According to the lawsuit, the Port provided “ground power equipment including the subject electrical plug and cable” that plaintiffs claim were defective, worn, damaged, or otherwise unsafe.
The complaint alleges the fire started after the aircraft was connected to external ground power equipment.
The lawsuit seeks damages for physical injuries, emotional distress, economic losses, legal costs, and other damages.
Puget Press has reached out to Delta and the Port of Seattle for comment.
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