FBI says Alaska Airlines passengers on flight that lost door may be victims of a crime: Reports

The FBI told Alaska Airline passengers from flight 1282 that lost a door-plug in January while in midflight that they are possibly victims of a crime, reports state.

“I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,” a victim specialist with the FBI’s Seattle division wrote in the letter that was sent to passengers aboard the plane, according to multiple media outlets.

The plane was a Boeing 737 Max and was carrying 171 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft flew 16,000 feet over Oregon on Jan. 5 when the door panel blew out leaving a huge hole on the side of it.

Loss of cabin pressure caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling and the force from air being sucked out of the plane exerted force on passengers and crew.

Pilots landed safely in Portland, Oregon, and no one onboard was seriously injured.

Investigators say four bolts used to help secure the panel appeared to be missing after the plane was worked on at a Boeing factory in Renton, Washington.

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In 2018 and 2019, two crashes of Boeing Max jets killed a total of 346 people. It led to a settlement in 2021 that let Boeing avoid prosecution for allegedly misleading the regulators who certified the 737 Max.

Published reports and government officials state that the U.S. Justice Department opened a criminal investigation to find out if the panel blowout violated that settlement.

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Seven passengers from the flight recently filed a lawsuit. They are charging Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and Spirit Aerosystems with negligence, construction and manufacturing defect liability, and failing to protect passengers from harm.

Passenger Cuong Tran, from Upland, California, sat a row behind the gaping hole. He said suction from the blowout took his shoes and socks. It pulled him toward the opening and injured his foot.

Mark Lindquist, the lawyer representing some of the passengers, shared the FBI letter with The Associated Press.

The letter gave passengers an email address, a phone number, a case number and a personal identification number so they can ask questions and share concerns.

"A criminal investigation can be a lengthy undertaking, and, for several reasons, we cannot tell you about its progress at this time. A victim of a federal crime is entitled to receive certain services," the letter stated.

The letter did not state Boeing, but the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Justice Department are conducting separate investigations into the manufacturer.

The news comes after the FBI widens the criminal probe into the aircraft manufacturer.

The US Attorney of Western Washington put together a grand jury to figure out if Boeing violated federal criminal laws.

Contributing: Mike Snider; USA TODAY