Was
it a crime?
The Federal
Bureau of Investigation is
now involved in the January 5 incident in which a door panel blew off an
Alaska Airlines plane manufactured by Boeing mid-flight.
The
FBI joins other government agencies such as the National Transportation Safety
Board and the Federal Aviation Administration in looking into the mishap. The
FBI has told passengers on the ill-fated flight that they might be victims of a
crime.
“I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible
victim of a crime,” a victim specialist from the federal agency’s Seattle
office wrote in a letter that passengers received this week. “This case is currently under
investigation by the FBI."
Not that the other government agencies investigating the
incident don’t have any power, but getting a letter from the FBI can be an especially
unnerving experience.
Was It Deliberate or an Oversight?
At issue is whether the screws that held the door panel in place
were missing, an oversight by Boeing, or deliberate. The pilots were still able
to land the plane safely and there were no injuries, but there has been several
lawsuits.
Boeing declined comment and Alaska Airlines said it does not
believe it is the subject or focus of the FBI investigation. The Department of
Justice is also conducting a criminal investigation.
Mark Lindquist, a lawyer representing some of the passengers,
shared the FBI letter with The Associated Press.
“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 FBI letter did not name Boeing.
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