A man is suing Frontier Airlines after a flight had “an abnormally hard landing” leaving him injured.
Clark County resident Alphonso Gibbs filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Denver-based carrier for negligence after he said a flight from San Diego to Las Vegas caused neck and back injuries.
Frontier did not get back for immediate comment.
Lawsuit details
Gibbs was a passenger on Frontier Flight 1326 from San Diego to Las Vegas on Oct. 5, 2024, according to the lawsuit filed in Clark County District Court.
During the descent, a “mechanical malfunction and/or failure occurred” which caused smoke to fill the cabin. This led to an “abnormally hard landing” causing all four main tires to blow out and a fire to erupt from the right main landing gear, said the lawsuit.
As a direct result, according to the lawsuit, Gibbs was left with injuries to his neck and back.
The lawsuit alleges Frontier and its employees failed to “timely and safely evacuate” the aircraft. This led to Gibbs feeling terror and panic, among other things, alongside “apprehension of imminent death, serious bodily injury, asphyxiation, and/or being burned alive.”
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board does confirm the incident, although it lists there were no injuries from the 197 total passengers and crewmembers on the plane. A final report is still in the works, and no safety recommendations have been issued, according to NTSB records.
According to the report, the incident was a brake fire caused by a fault in the “fan unit that cools the avionics compartment.” The fans are supposed to pull cool air through the avionics compartment, which houses electrical equipment inside the aircraft, to stop it from overheating.
The report said the “resulting damage was limited to landing gear, wheels, tires, and brakes and, therefore, is not considered to be substantial.”
Gibbs is asking for general damages in excess of $15,000; special damages, including past and future medical expenses; past and future loss of earnings or earning capacity; damages for pain, suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, fear, anxiety and inconvenience; prejudgment and post-judgment interest; attorney’s fees and costs of suit; and such other and further relief as the court deems just and proper.
Several other passengers sued Frontier in October 2024, and that lawsuit is pending in U.S. District Court.
Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.
