Justice Department Looking Into Boeing Door Plug Blowout

  • Prosecutors review whether incident covered by 2021 settlement
  • Boeing had deferred-prosecution agreement over 737 Max crashes
Plastic covers the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX on Jan. 7.Photographer: NTSB/Getty Images

The US Justice Department is scrutinizing the midair blowout last month of a Boeing Co. door plug on an Alaska Air flight, in a move that could expose the company to criminal prosecution, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The DOJ is examining whether the incident falls under the government’s 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement with the company over two previous fatal crashes of its 737 Max jetliner, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing a confidential matter.