An Alaska Airlines flight passenger says she was injured and “deeply traumatized” from severe turbulence on her 2024 flight from Seattle to Phoenix, which left four crew members hospitalized. Now, she’s suing.

Washington resident Natalie Russell filed a lawsuit Wednesday in King County, Washington, Superior Court claiming Alaska Airlines pilots and dispatchers knew the plane was flying into dangerous conditions and failed to divert Alaska Airlines Flight 700.

In a statement, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said that while the company does not comment on ongoing litigation, “safety is our highest priority, and we take all reports and incidents involving turbulence seriously.”

After the flight took off the day after Christmas in 2024, passengers heard several warnings that turbulence would worsen, according to the lawsuit. At one point, the plane dramatically plunged, the lawsuit claims, dropping about 200 feet in seconds.

Russell and other passengers were suddenly jerked out of their seats and hit their heads on the ceiling, despite wearing seat belts, according to the lawsuit. Russell saw passengers nearby strike the ceiling so hard that a panel broke off and fell, she claims.

All around her, she saw flight attendants “bleeding profusely as they screamed and moaned loudly, clearly in extreme pain,” Russell’s attorney Mark Lindquist wrote in the complaint.

Russell was “deeply traumatized,” in “extreme distress,” and feared for her life, the lawsuit claims. Still, the Alaska Airlines flight continued to its destination.

After the aircraft landed, Russell claims she overheard one of Alaska’s flight attendants screaming in pain and repeatedly begging not to be moved from the floor of the aircraft by paramedics.

At the time, The Seattle Times reported that four crew members were hospitalized after the flight.

“We are appreciative of our dedicated crew for their skill and professionalism in responding to this situation, and are supporting them as they seek additional medical attention,” the airline said in a statement at the time, adding that it apologized “for any concern this experience may have caused our guests.”

Russell claims she went to urgent care after landing for injures to her neck and head. She still experiences neck pain and stiffness as well as frequent headaches, according to the lawsuit.

Lindquist, who specializes in aviation cases, argues Alaska Airlines failed to take the proper safety measures to prevent the incident. Alaska Airlines employees are supposed to monitor inclement weather and communicate about turbulence, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks damages for her injuries, but does not specify an amount.

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