DOJ opens probe into Alaska Airlines plane blowout: report

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly opening a probe into the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines blowout, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

Investigators have reportedly contacted several passengers and crew members on the Jan. 5 flight, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing "documents and people familiar with the matter."

"In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation. We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation," Alaska Airlines told Fox News Digital in an email statement.

The article stated the probe would "inform the Justice Department's review of whether Boeing complied with an earlier settlement that resolved a federal investigation" as a result of two fatal incidents involving Boeing 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019.

ALASKA AIRLINES INFLIGHT BLOWOUT COULD HAVE BEEN 'MUCH DIFFERENT' SCENARIO, NTSB WARNS

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rescinded its grounding order for Boeing's 737 Max jet in November 2020 after a 20-month review after crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 passengers.

Investigators have reportedly begun notifying passengers on the Jan. 5 flight that they are potential crime victims in the case, according to a document viewed by The Wall Street Journal. Pilots and flight