FBI Tells Passengers On Ill-Fated Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Which Suffered Door Plug Blowout, That They Might Be ‘Victims of Crime’

The FBI has written to passengers who were onboard the Alaska Airlines flight that suffered an explosive decompression when a mid-cabin exit plug suffered a sudden blowout on January 26 that they might be victims of crime.

Passengers who were aboard the ill-fated Alaska Airlines flight 1282 have received letters telling them that the feds have ‘identified’ as a potential victim of crime. The letter also says that the FBI is actively investigating the potential crime.

The letter comes just weeks after it was reported that the Department of Justice had opened a criminal probe into what occurred on flight 1282. Both the DOJ and FBI have refused to publicly confirm the existence of a criminal investigation.

Alaska Airlines has, however, said it was “fully cooperating” with federal investigators and that a criminal probe was “normal” in this kind of incident.

The carrier pointed out that it was not the target of the investigation, with attention therefore turning to aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems, which produced the exit plug.

Several of the 171 passengers and six crew members sustained minor injuries when the mid-cabin exit plug on a brand new Boeing 737 MAX 9 blew out shortly after takeoff from Portland on January 26.

Some of the passengers have already filed their own lawsuits against Boeing and other parties involved in the incident. Many of the victims named in the various lawsuits say they are lucky to have survived flight 1282.