An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 takes off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, on March 6, 2024.
Daniel Slim | AFP | Getty Images
The Ministry of Justice launched a criminal investigation Alaska Airlines The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the incident in which the door panel exploded in the air occurred two months ago.
The newspaper said, citing documents and people familiar with the matter, that investigators contacted the passengers, pilots and flight attendants on board Flight 1282 on January 5, bound for Ontario, California, from Portland, Oregon, as part of the plane separated in the air, leading to its collision with the plane. . The crew made an emergency landing.
The newspaper said the investigation would help the Justice Department review whether Boeing had complied with a previous settlement of a federal investigation into two 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.
“In an event like this, it is natural for the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation,” an Alaska Airlines spokesperson said. “We are cooperating fully and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”
The Ministry of Justice declined to comment. Boeing did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Alaska's Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft have resumed regular service after being grounded for inspections. Alaska and United Airlines, the two US companies flying the Max 9, canceled thousands of flights in January after the accident.
Three passengers have filed a lawsuit against Boeing and Alaska Airlines for $1 billion in damages, accusing Boeing and Alaska Airlines of negligence for allegedly ignoring warning signs.
Alaska Airlines previously estimated that grounding the Boeing 737 MAX 9 for weeks would cost the company $150 million.
—Read the original Wall Street Journal story here.
— CNBC's Rebecca Picciotto contributed reporting.
