US opens criminal probe into Boeing 737 MAX mid-flight blowout

Boeing's safety record has been under scrutiny over an incident in which part of the fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX blew off mid-flight [National Transportation Safety Board via AP]

Prosecutors in the United States have opened a criminal investigation into the mid-flight blowout involving a Boeing 737 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines, according to US media reports.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has interviewed witnesses including aircrew as part of the probe into the January 5 incident in which a portion of the fuselage blew off mid-flight, the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post reported on Saturday.