Topline
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.
Key Facts
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.
Key Background
In 2021, the Department of Justice and Boeing agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement after the crashes in 2018 and 2019, which killed 346 people combined. The Justice Department had alleged that Boeing employees misled the FAA about the operations of the flight control system, which then led to the distribution of insufficient training materials for pilots. Boeing was able to dismiss the charge by agreeing to the payment, but as the Journal reported, Boeing could face prosecution on the original charge or see an extension of its probationary period if the Department finds that the planemaker violated any terms of the settlement. The Jan. 5 incident sparked fresh concerns about Boeing planes. A recent FAA audit found multiple instances where Boeing failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. The National Transportation Safety Board is also conducting a probe, which found that the door on the Alaska Airlines flight was missing bolts before blowing off, and its chair recently criticized Boeing for allegedly failing to cooperate, a claim Boeing has denied.
Contra
NTSB officials recently expressed concern that Justice Department involvement could hamper the agency’s own investigation, with NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy telling the Senate on Wednesday that she was concerned employees may not “feel safe to speak with us,” per the Journal. .
Tangent
A string of Boeing-related incidents involving United air flights have made headlines this week, and the NTSB announced an investigation into a separate issue involving stuck rudder pedals on a Boeing plane upon landing in New Jersey last month.