The FBI contacted passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight whose door panels were blown off at an altitude of 16,000 feet, telling them they “may be victims of a crime.”
The agency’s Seattle office sent a letter to passengers on Tuesday confirming that it has opened a criminal investigation into the Jan. 5 explosion on a Boeing 737 MAX plane. According to the Seattle Times.
The agency said they could be “potential victims of a crime” and instructed the 171 passengers to set up a profile through the department’s victim notification system to receive updates on the incident. did.
“Criminal investigations can be long-term endeavors, and for several reasons, we are unable to provide any update on progress at this time,” the letter said, according to the Seattle Times.
The FBI also added that it expects “a large number of potential victims” and has set up an email address for “Alaska Airlines victims” to contact the FBI.
Mark Lindquist, an attorney who represents some of the passengers who decided to sue Boeing and Alaska Airlines in the aftermath, said the letter “reinforces their sense that this was a serious event that should not have happened.” He said the letter was “encouraging” because it confirms the
Boeing declined to comment Friday, and Alaska Airlines did not immediately respond to a request from the Post.
However, the company told the Seattle Times it is “fully cooperating” with the Justice Department’s investigation and “does not believe we are a target of the investigation.”
Federal investigators have alleged that the four bolts used to secure the door plugs were not actually installed when the plane left Boeing’s assembly plant late last year.
Federal Aviation Administration officials also discovered dozens of problems related to the production process for Boeing Co.’s 737 MAX jets in the aftermath of the crash. These included a mechanic at one of its major suppliers using hotel key cards and dishwashing detergent as makeshift tools to test compatibility.
Boeing catches up on ongoing plane debacle
Boeing has recently been plagued by safety concerns that began after a door panel on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet blew off on January 5 during a flight from Oregon to California. The plane, operated by Alaska Airlines, appeared to be missing four key bolts, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby shies away from Boeing after Alaska Airlines door explosion nearly catastrophizes, grounding the airline’s MAX 9 planes Then he threatened.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy warns that mid-air door explosions like the Boeing 737 MAX 9 debacle “could happen again,” adding there are “problems” in the manufacturing process. Ta.
A week after the first accident, when a Boeing plane developed a crack in its cockpit window and was forced to make an emergency landing in Japan, disaster has struck again.
A Boeing 757 lost its front tire in late January while preparing to depart for an international flight. At Atlanta International Airport, a Delta flight bound for Bogota, Colombia, was taxiing across the runway to takeoff when another plane alerted the control tower to an abnormality.
Shocking photos later revealed that British passengers were alarmed when they noticed pieces of tape stuck to the exterior of a Boeing 787 during a flight to India.
On Monday, March 11, a United Airlines Boeing 777-300 leaked fuel mid-air and was forced to make an emergency landing, marking the airline’s fifth reported accident in just over a week.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary previously said he had “loud complaints” to Boeing about quality control.
Whistleblower John Barnett raised safety concerns at the airline’s factories and gave his first testimony in the bomb case against Boeing. He was found dead in his truck after failing to appear for the second part of Monday’s testimony.
The report said Boeing failed 33 of 89 product audits (examinations of specific aspects of the production line) and found a total of 97 violations. New York Times.
In response to these reports, the Department of Justice announced earlier this month that it had begun a criminal investigation into Boeing.
The airline will determine whether the aircraft maker agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement in 2021 following a federal investigation into fatal crashes involving its Max 737s in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Trying to.
According to the Seattle Times, Justice Department officials have already interviewed several witnesses, including the pilot and crew members, as part of the investigation.
The department has reportedly sent subpoenas to the company and has already convened a grand jury in Seattle.
Lindquist said the FBI has not yet requested additional information from any of his clients, but the letter is a sign that the FBI may soon begin interviewing those on board Flight 1282 about their experiences. He said he was watching.
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 report said.
The government would instead require Boeing to keep the Justice Department updated on compliance improvements and could extend the company’s three-year probation.
