(Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice is scrutinizing Boeing’s door plug blowout that occurred last month, in a move that could expose the planemaker to criminal prosecution, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
According to Boeing’s latest annual report, the DOJ was considering whether the company fulfilled its obligations under the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) and whether to move to dismiss the information, which would require court approval.
If prosecutors determine that the door plug blowout constitutes a breach of that agreement, then Boeing could face criminal liability, the Bloomberg report said.
Boeing has scrambled to explain and strengthen safety procedures after a door panel detached during a Jan. 5 flight on a brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9.
The DOJ and Boeing did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comments.
(Reporting by Shivansh Tiwary in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
