Passengers onboard the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, which suffered a mid-air door plug blowout on Jan. 5, have been told by the FBI via a letter that they may have been victims of a possible crime.
The letter, written by a victim specialist with the FBI’s Seattle office, states that the case is currently under FBI investigation, which “can be a lengthy undertaking.” But the FBI is unable to provide updates on its progress for the time being, it added.
“I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,” the letter, which was received this week, reads, according to the Associated Press. “A victim of a federal crime is entitled to receive certain services.”
Mark Lindquist, the lawyer representing some passengers in their lawsuit against Boeing, shared the letter with the news outlet. It includes contact details for passengers to relay information or concerns to the FBI.
Mr. Lindquist said that his clients welcome the Justice Department’s (DOJ) investigation.
“We want accountability, answers, and safer planes,” he told the news outlet. “The DOJ and the FBI bring significant leverage and resources that I’m confident will help our case and help the flying public as well.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to the FBI’s Seattle branch for comments.
Alaska Airlines said that it was fully cooperating with the investigation and does not believe it is the target of the probe.
The Justice Department in 2022 updated its guidelines for notifying victims of potential crimes after relatives of some of the 346 people killed in two Boeing 737 MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 said their legal rights had been violated when the department struck a January 2021 deferred prosecution deal with Boeing without notifying them.
Flight 1282 was en route to California from Portland International Airport in Oregon on Jan. 5 when the door plug blew out, leaving a gaping hole in the plane and causing a rapid loss of cabin pressure.
The plane was forced to make an emergency landing back in Portland with 171 passengers and six crew members on board, although none of them suffered serious injuries.
The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground the Boeing 737 Max 9 planes worldwide, with the agency extending that grounding just days after United Airlines said it discovered issues related to the installation of door plugs—including loose bolts—on the same Boeing model.
Six Alaska Airlines passengers have demanded compensation from Boeing following the incident, saying that the blowout had “physically injured some passengers and emotionally traumatized most if not all aboard.”
According to the lawsuit, about 10 minutes after takeoff, the left door plug detached and shot off the aircraft, causing it to abruptly and violently depressurize.
The cockpit door blew open, prompting a flight attendant to rush and attempt to close it. The pressure change resulted in bleeding ears, coupled with low oxygen, loud wind noise, and traumatic stress, causing severe headaches.
“Passengers were shocked, terrorized, and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare, hoping they would live long enough to walk the earth again,” the suit reads.
Katabella Roberts and Reuters contributed to this report.
From The Epoch Times
