The United States Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation against the American Boeing Group, specialized in the aerospace and defense sectors. Under the scrutiny of investigators is the incident that occurred last January 5, 2024 on a B-737 Max 9 aircraft operated by the American company Alaska Airlines, on board which a panel (plug door) exploded while the aircraft was in flight. 

It was announced in the last few hours by the US newspaper "Wall Street Journal", which cites some documents from the investigation as sources. Investigators have already questioned some passengers and crew members who were on flight AS1282. According to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the aircraft (registration number N704AL) was missing the four latches that secured the panel to the fuselage. 

The main objective of the investigation is to clarify how it is possible that the manufacturer Boeing, as admitted in a letter sent to the United States Congress, is not able to find the documents containing the manufacturing phases of the panel (plug door) and the names of the employees responsible for securing the four missing bolts in the blown door on flight AS1282. 

Boeing Executive Vice President Ziad Ojakli wrote to Senator Maria Cantwell: It is alleged that records relating to the removal and reinstallation of the panel on the 737 MAX final assembly line at the Renton, Washington factory were never created, even though Boeing's systems required it. This lack prevents us from answering two fundamental questions: were the documents not preserved or were they eliminated? Who did the work on the door: the SpiritAerosystem company or Boeing?

On the same topic, see also the article published by AVIONEWS.