FBI: Flight 1282 passengers may be possible victims “of a crime”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has contacted Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 passengers via letter to inform them they may be victims of a crime, reports the Seattle Times, after a mid-air incident in January 2024 resulted in the loss of a door plug aboard the flight’s 737 MAX 9. The letter seen by the news outlet was sent from a victim support specialist at the FBI’s Seattle Office, stating that recipients have been identified “as a possible victim of a crime”. However, it cautioned that “a criminal investigation can be a lengthy undertaking, and for several reasons, we cannot tell you about its progress at this time”. Earlier this month, people familiar with the matter explained that the US Department of Justice had commenced a criminal investigation into the mid-flight blowout, while the National Transportation Safety Board also stated its intention to “utilize [its] authority to protect the identities of the [Alaska Airlines flight 1282] door crew and other front-line employees who come forward with information relevant to the investigation”.