A CRIMINAL investigation has been launched into Boeing over a terrifying 16,000ft door blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight.
Investigators have reportedly contacted some of the passengers and crew on board the 737 MAX on January 5.
ReutersThe fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX, which was forced to make an emergency landing[/caption]
ReutersThe fuselage plug area being examined after it was jettisoned out in mid-air[/caption]
APPassengers and cabin crew have now been interviewed as part of a new investigation[/caption]
And it sees Boeing placed at the centre of more controversy just days after a wheel dropped from a packed plane during takeoff at an airport in San Francisco last week.
As well as interviewing pilots and flight attendants, the Justice Department has contacted some passengers and crew as part of the new investigation, according to the documents and people.
“In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation,” Alaska Airlines said. “We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”
The Sun has contacted Boeing for comment.
The investigation comes at a time when Boeing is already under scrutiny for its safety record following a series of incidents.
That includes the two fatal crashes involving the Boeing 737 MAX in both 2018 and 2019.
The DOJ probe will inform authorities’ assessment of whether Boeing has complied with the terms of a $2.5bn (£1.9bn) settlement to avoid prosecution in relation to those crashes, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have since conducted an audit of the company that included interviews with employees and a visit to its production line.
On Monday, The FAA said it had identified “non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control”.
They added that Boeing has 90 days to formulate a plan to correct the issues.
In a separate report released last month, FAA revealed they had found serious problems with Boeing’s safety culture, including fears of retaliation among employees with safety concerns.