The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the explosion of a fuselage panel on an Alaska Airlines jet.
Federal authorities have begun contacting the passengers and crew of the horrifying Jan. 5 plane that blew a Boeing 737 Max 9’s door plug at 16,000 feet and made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon. The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing documents and people familiar with the matter.
“The Department of Justice typically investigates cases like this. We are cooperating fully and do not believe we are a target of the investigation,” Alaska Airlines said on the show. told.
The Justice Department will decide whether Boeing agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement in 2021 following a federal investigation into the deadly Boeing Max 737 crashes that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. I’m looking for it.
According to the report, if the Justice Department finds that Boeing violated the terms of the 2021 settlement, the aircraft manufacturing giant could face charges of fraud against the United States.
The government would instead require Boeing to keep the Justice Department updated on compliance improvements and could extend the company’s three-year probation.
The National Transportation Safety Board found four key bolts were missing from a fuselage panel that blew an Alaska Airlines jet off shortly after takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration quickly grounded 171 Max 9 jets for inspection, and the planes returned to service in late January.
Last month, three passengers on the plane sued Boeing and Alaska Airlines for $1 billion, claiming the companies ignored warning signs indicating a dangerous condition on the plane and the flight should not have taken off. filed a lawsuit.
