In a recent development, the FBI has reached out to passengers on the Alaska Airlines flight where a door panel blew off at 16,000 feet, informing them that they may be potential victims of a crime. The agency's Seattle bureau sent a letter to the passengers, confirming the initiation of a criminal investigation into the incident that occurred on January 5 on a Boeing 737 MAX flight, as reported by the Seattle Times.

The letter expressed that a criminal investigation is a time-consuming process and, therefore, updates on its progress cannot be provided at present. However, it emphasized the FBI's expectation of a "large number of potential victims" and directed the 171 passengers to create a profile through the Victim Notification System to receive future updates regarding the case.

According to Mark Lindquist, an attorney representing some of the passengers planning to sue Boeing and Alaska Airlines, this letter provides validation for the severity of the event and their belief that it should not have occurred. Boeing declined to comment on the matter, while Alaska Airlines stated that it is fully cooperating with the Department of Justice investigation and does not believe it is a target of the inquiry.

In relation to the incident, federal investigators have revealed that four bolts, intended to secure the door plug, were never installed during the plane's assembly at Boeing's plant late last year. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also discovered numerous issues in the production process of Boeing's 737 MAX jet following the incident. Shockingly, mechanics at a key supplier were found to be using a hotel key card and dish soap as makeshift tools to test compliance. Reports indicate that Boeing failed 33 out of 89 product audits, uncovering a total of 97 counts of alleged noncompliance.

These revelations led the Department of Justice to launch a criminal investigation into Boeing earlier this month. The investigation aims to determine whether the aircraft manufacturer complied with a $2.5 billion settlement reached in 2021 after a federal probe into fatal flights involving its Max 737 planes in 2018 and 2019, which tragically claimed the lives of 346 individuals. The Seattle Times reports that DOJ officials have already interviewed several witnesses, including the pilot and crew members, and have issued subpoenas to the company. Furthermore, a grand jury has been convened in Seattle as part of the ongoing investigation.

Although the FBI has not yet requested additional information from the passengers, attorney Mark Lindquist believes that the letter indicates the agency's intention to soon start conducting interviews with those on board Flight 1282, seeking their accounts and experiences.

If the Department of Justice finds that Boeing violated the terms of its 2021 settlement, the aviation giant could face prosecution for defrauding the United States, potentially resulting in severe consequences for the company. Alternatively, the government may extend Boeing's three-year probation period, requiring the company to provide regular updates on its compliance improvements to the DOJ.

As the investigation unfolds, passengers eagerly await further developments and hope for a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the incident onboard the Alaska Airlines flight.