Bellevue woman sues, says American Airlines took her on a harrowing flight

A Bellevue woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines over what she says was a terrifying flight to New York on Sept. 22, 2008, when the airplane flew on battery power until it had to make an emergency landing in Chicago.

"It changed my whole world," said Jewel Thomas, 55, who had been a frequent traveler but hasn't been able to get back on an airplane in nearly two years. Even hearing the sound of a jet flying overhead "freaks me out," said Thomas, who announced the lawsuit Wednesday in the Seattle office of her attorney Alisa Brodkowitz.

Thomas had worked for Microsoft for six years, but said she has had difficulty working and is on disability.

The lawsuit, which seeks no specific damages, was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Andrea Huguely, a spokeswoman for Texas-based American Airlines, said "we haven't seen the complaint and have no comment at this time."

Thomas said she was flying to New York to apply for another job with Microsoft.

Shortly after takeoff, warning lights indicated power problems with several in-flight systems, according to the lawsuit.

The flight crew referred to the Quick Reference Handbook (QRH) and followed the recommended procedure, switching four of the plane's main electrical power buses to battery power, according to the lawsuit. The QRH said the battery would provide power to the airplane for 30 minutes, although the power from the engines kept the battery operating longer.

Eventually, the lights in the airplane went off, the public address system did not work and the phone to the cockpit was out of order. Flight attendants had to pass notes under the cockpit door to communicate with the flight crew, according to the suit.

About 11 a.m., the plane was out of battery power, said the suit, and 20 minutes later the captain asked to divert to Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

"Passengers called loved ones on their cellphones to tell them goodbye and that they loved them," said Brodkowitz in a news release. "The turbulent flight became even more so. Passengers prayed loudly, cried, and braced for landing."

There were no injuries among the airplane's 190 passengers, and Brodkowitz doesn't believe any other lawsuits have been filed over the incident. She said she hopes to speak to many of the passengers as part of her lawsuit.

"The reason we filed this lawsuit is it was completely preventable and resulted in injury to Jewel Thomas," said Brodkowitz. "She has prolonged trauma caused by human error."

She said the jet should have returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport when pilots learned of the power problems.

Thomas, through tears, said she missed her uncle's funeral because she couldn't fly to Arizona, and when a friend was dying, the friend wanted Thomas by her side, but she couldn't fly. "This hurt me so badly. I really wanted to be with her," said Thomas. "My life is over. I want my life back. I want to be Jewel again."

Vickie Norton, a captain with United Airlines, said via telephone at the news conference that she didn't agree with the American Airlines pilot's decision to continue the flight

"There was a primary lack of systems knowledge," she said, adding that the pilots should have landed at the nearest airport when they learned of the electrical problems.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com