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DOJ Launches Criminal Probe into Boeing 737 MAX Blowout

The investigation targets compliance with a 2021 settlement, as missing bolts and documentation issues raise safety concerns.

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Alaska Airlines aircraft sit in the airline's hangar at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in SeaTac, Wash. Boeing has acknowledged in a letter to Congress that it cannot find records for work done on a door panel that blew out on an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon two months ago. Ziad Ojakli, Boeing executive vice president and chief government lobbyist, wrote to Sen. Maria Cantwell on Friday, March 8 saying, “We have looked extensively and have not found any such documentation.” (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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Overview

  • The Department of Justice has initiated a new criminal investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight in January, focusing on compliance with a 2021 settlement.
  • The incident, which resulted in a midair fuselage blowout, has raised concerns about Boeing's production and quality control practices.
  • NTSB's preliminary report attributes the blowout to four missing bolts that should have secured the door plug, highlighting potential safety management issues.
  • Boeing has admitted to not having documentation for the repair work on the door plug, raising questions about its quality assurance processes.
  • The FAA has given Boeing 90 days to present a plan to address quality-control issues, following findings of non-compliance in its manufacturing processes.