Report: DOJ Launches Investigation into Alaska Airlines Plane Explosion

A new report from The Wall Street Journal states that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly investigating the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines blowout.

According to The Wall Street Journal, investigators have reportedly contacted multiple passengers and crew members on the Jan. 5 flight, based on "documents and people familiar with the matter."

An investigation by the DOJ is typical in such circumstances, and Alaska Airlines is fully cooperating, stating that they do not believe they are a target of the investigation.

According to the article, the probe would inform the Justice Department's review of whether Boeing complied with an earlier settlement that resolved a federal investigation into two fatal incidents involving Boeing 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019.

In November 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) lifted its grounding order for Boeing's 737 Max jet following a 20-month investigation into crashes in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in the deaths of 346 passengers.

According to a document viewed by The Wall Street Journal, investigators have started notifying passengers on the Jan. 5 flight that they may be crime victims in the case. The pilots and flight attendants on the plane have already been interviewed, reports the outlet.

The DOJ has been contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for an additional statement.

Last month, a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report revealed that the door plug of an aircraft was found to be missing four crucial bolts.

The report states that the absence of contact damage or deformation around holes associated with the vertical movement arrestor bolts and upper guide track bolts in the upper guide fittings, hinge fittings, and recovered aft lower hinge guide fitting indicates that the four bolts that prevent upward movement of the MED plug were missing before the MED plug moved upward off the stop pads.

On January 5th, Alaska Airlines flight 1282 had to make an emergency landing shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport in Oregon. This occurred when a door plug detached from the jetliner while it was climbing for a trip to California.

The grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners due to a blowout prompted thousands of flight cancellations.

Planet Chronicle' Stephany Price and Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.