Mar 9, 2024,01:39pm EST
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Department of Justice has initiated a criminal investigation into the January 5 incident aboard an Alaska Airlines flight, where a door blew open mid-flight on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Citing documents and unnamed sources familiar with the probe, the Journal revealed that Justice Department investigators have reached out to passengers, pilots, and flight attendants of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
The investigation aims to determine whether Boeing complied with an existing settlement related to a federal investigation following the 2018 and 2019 crashes involving Boeing aircraft. Investigators from the Inspector General’s office at the Department of Transportation have also sought to interview Federal Aviation Administration officials overseeing Boeing’s manufacturing.
Furthermore, the Justice Department has reportedly informed passengers onboard the flight that they may be potential victims of a crime. Alaska Airlines stated that it is fully cooperating with the investigation and does not believe it is a target.
In 2021, Boeing reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the Department of Justice over the 2018 and 2019 crashes, where Boeing was accused of misleading the FAA about the flight control system and distributing insufficient training materials for pilots.
The recent incident on the Alaska Airlines flight has raised concerns about Boeing’s planes once again. An FAA audit found instances where Boeing failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting its own probe, revealing that the door on the Alaska Airlines flight was missing bolts before blowing off. Boeing has been criticized for allegedly failing to cooperate with the investigation, although it denies these claims.
NTSB officials have expressed concern that the Justice Department’s involvement could hinder their investigation, as employees may not feel safe to speak. Meanwhile, a separate investigation has been launched into Boeing-related incidents involving United air flights, including an issue with stuck rudder pedals on a Boeing plane landing in New Jersey last month.