The investigation comes amid intense scrutiny of Boeing's safety record following fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
According to US media reports, US prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the in-flight explosion of a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operated by Alaska Airlines.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating a plane crash as part of an investigation into the Jan. 5 incident in which part of the plane was blown off mid-flight, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post reported on Saturday. Witnesses, including crew members, were interviewed.
Alaska Airlines said it is cooperating with authorities.
“The Department of Justice normally conducts investigations in cases like this. We are cooperating fully and do not believe we will be a target of the investigation,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement to Al Jazeera. Stated.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The investigation comes as Boeing's safety record has come under intense scrutiny following a series of crashes involving Boeing's 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019, including two fatal crashes.
The Justice Department's investigation will inform the agency's assessment of whether Boeing complied with the terms of a $2.5 billion settlement to avoid prosecution related to these crashes, The Wall Street Journal reported .
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday that an audit of the company, which included interviews with employees and visits to Boeing sites, found “noncompliance issues with Boeing's manufacturing process controls, parts handling and storage, and product management.” announced that it had been identified. its production line.
The FAA said Boeing has 90 days to come up with a plan to fix the problem.
A separate FAA report released last month, but before the explosion, found serious problems with Boeing's safety culture, including fears of retaliation by employees concerned about safety.
Boeing said in a letter to the U.S. Congress on Friday that it could not find any records of its work on a door panel that fell from an Alaska Airlines jet.
The Seattle-based aircraft manufacturer said it believes no records were created regarding the panel, even though internal rules require such documentation.