US Opens Criminal Investigation Into Alaska’s Midair Blowout (2)

The US Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the midair blowout of a Boeing 737 Max fuselage panel on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

“In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation,” Alaska Airlines said Saturday in a statement. “We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that investigators have contacted some passengers and crew members from the flight, which made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, after a door plug ripped off from the plane.

A Boeing ...