The door plug that blew out midair of the Boeing 737 Max|@NTSB_Newsroom|X

The Justice Department (DOJ) is conducting a criminal investigation on the January 5 fuselage blowout of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max jetliner, sources close to the matter say.

Boeing and Alaska Airlines are cooperating with the probe, while the DOJ investigators are contacting passengers, pilots and flight attendants on the plane.

The investigation aims to determine if Boeing complied with an earlier settlement related to the fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed a total of 346 people. 

Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary findings suggest missing bolts on a part initially installed by Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems.

Boeing is unable to find documentation regarding the part’s removal.