More chaos for Boeing as criminal investigation launched over terrifying 16,000ft door blowout on Alaska Airlines flight
A CRIMINAL investigation has been launched into the terrifying 16,000ft door blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight.
It sees Boeing placed at the centre of more controversy after investigators contacted some passengers and crew on the January 5 737 MAX blowout, reports claim.
After a fuselage panel ripped off midair, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, US, according to documents and passengers.
As part of the new investigation, the Justice Department has interviewed pilots and flight attendants on the flight.
“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.