The Department of Justice has launched a criminal probe into a Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines flight where a door blew open mid-flight aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited documents and unnamed individuals familiar with the probe.
This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a gaping hole where the ... [+]
Justice Department investigators have reportedly contacted passengers, pilots and flight attendants of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282—launching a new criminal investigation that would inform an ongoing review of whether Boeing complied with an existing settlement of a federal investigation that came about after a pair of Boeing crashes in 2018 and 2019, the Journal reported.
The Journal also reported investigators with the Inspector General’s office at the Department of Transportation have sought to interview Federal Aviation Administration officials overseeing Boeing’s manufacturing—the FBI and the IG’s office similarly worked together during the investigation after the 2018 and 2019 crashes.
The Justice Department has also reportedly begun to inform passengers onboard that Jan. 5 flight that they are potential victims of a crime, the Journal reported.
Alaska Airlines told Forbes the company is “fully cooperating” and does not believe it is a “target of the investigation,” but also added that “in an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation.”
Forbes has contacted the Justice Department and Boeing for comment.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.