DoJ opens criminal inquiry into Boeing, interviews Alaska crew, WSJ reports

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Boeing (BA) 737 MAX blowout on an Alaska Airlines (ALK) flight, The Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Tangel, Dave Michaels and Alison Sider report, citing documents and people familiar with the matter. Investigators have contacted some passengers and crew on the January 5th flight, which made an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon, after a fuselage panel ripped off midair, according to the documents and people. As part of the new investigation, the Justice Department has interviewed pilots and flight attendants on the flight, the authors add.