YARMOUTH – A man whose brother died when Alaska Airlines Flight 261 plummeted into the Pacific Ocean is suing, but he wouldn’t get a penny if he wins. Charles Clemetson wants an apology, not money.

All 88 people on board were killed in the crash of the plane, which was en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, to San Francisco and then Seattle.

Charles Clemetson’s brother, David Clemetson of Seattle, was aboard the MD-83 with his wife, Carolyn, 31, and her son Miles, 6; David’s daughters, Coriander, 8, and Blake, 6; and the couple’s 6-month-old son, Spencer.

On Jan. 31, the second anniversary of the crash, Charles Clemetson filed the lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco.

Clemetson wants apologies from John Kelly, chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group; Bradley Tildon, chief financial officer; Bill Weaver, vice president of maintenance; and two mechanics, Ron Hensel and Ron Abzell.

An Alaska Airlines spokesman had no comment.

If a judge rules in Clemetson’s favor, he will have an hour with each of those named in the lawsuit. Kelly would also have to resign his position at Alaska and never work in the industry again.

Even more important for Clemetson, officials would have to admit they were negligent with maintenance. He contends the company cut corners to save money and that those cutbacks led to the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation has focused on maintenance problems and the failure of the jackscrew that controls the up and down movement of the aircraft’s tail wing.

Last year, the NTSB recommended several maintenance changes, most involving the lubrication of the 2-foot jackscrew.

If it is not lubricated properly, the results can be catastrophic, the NTSB said.

Since his brother, sister-in-law, two nieces and two nephews perished, Clemetson’s life has fallen apart.

Sleep has become elusive. Three months after the crash, he and his wife separated.

She moved out with the couple’s daughters, ages 10 and 12. Clemetson does not blame the crash for the divorce, which became official in December, but said he was not able to focus on saving his marriage.

Clemetson, who runs a psychiatric practice in Yarmouth, said he wants to be able to forgive the Alaska Airways defendants, and he says the only way that can happen is if he receives an apology.

“Forgiving is not something you do to or for someone else, you do it for yourself,” he said. “I want to forgive them and that will resolve things for me.”

The lawsuit is a long shot. Peter DeTroy, a Portland lawyer, said it is highly unlikely the court will rule in favor of a public apology.

“It’s novel, and on a certain level it may make sense, but the courts can’t order somebody to apologize,” he said.