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Hole in the cabin wall: Alaska Airlines Boeing plane
Photo: dpa
More than two months after the emergency landing of a Boeing 737 MAX due to a broken fuselage part, the US federal police investigating the case, the FBI, told passengers, according to media reports, that they may have been victims of a crime. “We are reaching out to you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,” said the FBI letter to the passengers, which was seen by the newspaper, according to a report in the Seattle Times on Friday.
A criminal investigation could be a lengthy affair, it said. "For various reasons, we cannot currently inform you about the status of things," explained the US authorities.
Part of the cabin wall of the Alaska Airlines plane flew out shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, on January 5th. The plane then had to turn around and make an emergency landing in Portland. Although no one was injured in the incident, experts say it could have resulted in a catastrophe.
According to the US traffic safety authority NTSB, necessary fasteners were not available. According to a preliminary investigation by the NTSB, several bolts were missing from the affected aircraft part.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a temporary ban on flights of this type. 171 aircraft were affected. Later the first ones flew away again. The FAA also prohibited Boeing from expanding production of MAX aircraft starting next year or 2026.
czl/AFP