FBI says Alaska MAX passengers may be victims of crime

BTN News
Monday, 25 March 2024

The US FBI is investigating a January 5 Alaska Airlines flight where a cabin panel (aka a door plug) on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet blew out mid-air - and it has contacted passengers on the flight by letter to say they may be victims of 'a crime'.


None of the 177 passengers and crew was killed in the incident, but some were injured and a group already is suing Alaska Airlines for "serious emotional distress, fear and anxiety".

The letters confirm early media reports that the Department of Justice (DoJ) had launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which happened on a flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California.

In a preliminary investigation, US regulators found four critical bolts - meant to hold the so-called door plug in place - were missing from the flight.

Soon after the incident, the NTSB said Boeing had placed restrictions on the plane involved in the incident days before it took off.

The jet had been prevented from making long-haul flights over water after pilots reported pressurisation warning lights on three previous flights.

The decision to restrict lengthy flights over water was so that the plane "could return very quickly to an airport" in the event the warnings happened again.

FBI says Alaska MAX passengers may be victims of crime

BTN News
Monday, 25 March 2024

The US FBI is investigating a January 5 Alaska Airlines flight where a cabin panel (aka a door plug) on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet blew out mid-air - and it has contacted passengers on the flight by letter to say they may be victims of 'a crime'.


None of the 177 passengers and crew was killed in the incident, but some were injured and a group already is suing Alaska Airlines for "serious emotional distress, fear and anxiety".

The letters confirm early media reports that the Department of Justice (DoJ) had launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which happened on a flight from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California.

In a preliminary investigation, US regulators found four critical bolts - meant to hold the so-called door plug in place - were missing from the flight.

Soon after the incident, the NTSB said Boeing had placed restrictions on the plane involved in the incident days before it took off.

The jet had been prevented from making long-haul flights over water after pilots reported pressurisation warning lights on three previous flights.

The decision to restrict lengthy flights over water was so that the plane "could return very quickly to an airport" in the event the warnings happened again.