The FBI told Alaska Airline passengers from flight 1282 who lost a door plug in mid-flight in January that they may have been victims of a crime, reports state.
“I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,” a victim specialist with the FBI’s Seattle division wrote in the letter that was sent to passengers aboard the plane, according to multiple media outlets.
The Boeing 737 Max was the type of plane that carried 171 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft flew 16,000 feet over Oregon on Jan. 5 when the door panel blew out, leaving a huge hole on the side of it.
The loss of cabin pressure caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling, and the force of air being sucked out of the plane exerted pressure on passengers and crew.
Pilots landed safely in Portland, Oregon, and no one onboard was seriously injured.
After the plane was repaired at a Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, investigators say that four bolts that were supposed to secure the panel disappeared.
Does Alaska Airlines flight incident violate the Boeing Settlement?
In 2018, two Boeing Max jet crashes resulted in a total of 346 deaths. In 2021, Boeing was able to avoid prosecution for allegedly misleading the regulators who certified the 737 Max through a settlement.
According to published reports and government officials, the U.S. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation to determine if the panel blowout violated the settlement.
Alaska Airlines passengers file lawsuit, Boeing criminal probe widens
Seven passengers from the flight recently filed a lawsuit. They are charging Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and Spirit Aerosystems with negligence, construction, and manufacturing defect liability, and failing to protect passengers from harm.
Passenger Cuong Tran, from Upland, California, sat in a row behind the gaping hole. He said suction from the blowout took his shoes and socks. It pulled him toward the opening and injured his foot.
Mark Lindquist, the attorney representing a few of the passengers, gave the FBI letter to The Associated Press.
The letter provided passengers with an email address, phone number, case number, and personal identification number, so they can ask questions and share concerns.
“A criminal investigation can be a lengthy undertaking, and, for several reasons, we cannot tell you about its progress at this time. A victim of a federal crime is entitled to receive certain services,” the letter stated.
The letter did not state Boeing, but the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Justice Department are conducting separate investigations into the manufacturer.
The news comes after the FBI widens the criminal probe into the aircraft manufacturer.
The US Attorney for Western Washington has put together a grand jury to determine if Boeing violated federal criminal laws.
