The Justice Department is looking into the Jan. 5 blowout of a portion of the fuselage of a Boeing 737 Max jetliner operated by Alaska Airlines, according to two people briefed on the matter.
Washington
Justice Dept. opens criminal probe of mid-flight blowout on 737 Max plane
Boeing declined to comment. A Justice Department spokesman also declined to comment. Alaska Airlines said in a statement Saturday that it was cooperating with the investigation.
“In an event like this, it’s normal for the DOJ to be conducting an investigation,” Alaska Airlines said. “We are fully cooperating and do not believe we are a target of the investigation.”
Spirit AeroSystems, a Boeing supplier that initially installed a panel that came off the jet in midair, said it has received requests for information from “multiple government agencies” and was cooperating with ongoing investigations.
The inquiry comes as an audit by the Federal Aviation Administration identified multiple instances where Boeing failed to comply with quality control requirements in its manufacturing process, an unwelcome reminder of safety problems that led to a 20-month grounding of the fleet following two fatal crashes involving 737 Max 8 jetliners in 2018 and 2019.
The Justice Department is investigating whether any factors that contributed to the Jan. 5 incident violated the terms of an earlier agreement with Boeing to resolve any criminal liability for the two crashes involving 737 Max jets, according to a person familiar with the probe.
Boeing reached that deal with the Justice Department in 2021 over employees’ concealment of a critical safety flaw implicated in crashes that killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. Boeing agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion in penalties and admitted that two of its technical pilots deceived federal safety regulators about a software system blamed for the accidents.
As part of the agreement, Boeing would avoid criminal prosecution if it met other conditions for a period of three years, including promptly reporting any evidence that its employees or agents committed fraud against any government agencies, regulators or its customers. The company also agreed to strengthen its compliance program and to enhance compliance program reporting requirements.
The deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, also required Boeing to fully cooperate with any investigation by the fraud section of the Justice Department’s criminal division, including turning over upon request any evidence or allegations of violations or any related internal or external investigations.
The Justice Department stopped short of requiring the appointment of an independent monitor to ensure Boeing’s compliance, however, saying it did not believe one was needed.
Paul G. Cassell, a lawyer representing some families of victims in the 2018 and 2019 crashes, said a series of issues at Boeing over the past year raise questions about whether it has complied with the terms of the agreement.
“It’s not just one door plug on one plane,” said Cassell, a professor at the University of Utah College of Law.
Whether the causes of the door plug incident constitute a violation that 2021 agreement or lead to the discovery of new alleged offenses, or some combination of the two, appears to be an open question. The Justice Department’s criminal division has until July 7 to decide whether to seek dismissal of the 2021 charges against Boeing, extend the probationary term by up to one year, or find the company in breach of the settlement. Such a finding could reactivate the prosecution.
Boeing is already the target of multiple investigations following the Jan. 5 blowout.
The FAA has stepped up oversight of its manufacturing and quality control processes. The agency also has taken the unusual step of limiting the number of aircraft the company can produce until it can be assured that Boeing has addressed the problems that contributed to the Alaska Airlines blowout.
FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker recently visited Seattle, a trip that included a tour of Boeing’s 737 production line. He also spoke with Boeing engineers and mechanics as well as FAA employees tasked with oversight of the company.
On Monday, the FAA said it had completed the audit and found multiple instances of Boeing and Spirit failing to adhere to quality control requirements. The agency said it has given Boeing 90 days to develop a plan to correct the problems.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary findings in the Jan. 5 incident, the door plug appeared intact when it left Spirit AeroSystems on Aug. 20. However, a photo shared by Boeing employees on Sept. 19 after it was removed for a repair shows three of four key bolts missing, with a fourth not visible in the picture.
Boeing said in a letter Friday to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) that it has searched for documentation about the removal of the part but has not discovered any records.
“We likewise have shared with the NTSB what became our working hypothesis: that the documents required by our processes were not created when the door plug was opened,” the company wrote. “If that hypothesis is correct, there would be no documentation to produce.”
Incidents like the one in 2023 along the Baltimore Beltway — a crash that killed six highway workers — are the reason why officials gathered to stress the need for better work zone safety during National Work Zone Awareness Week.
This week, officials, workers and residents are calling for safer roads as they say there is still more work to be done when it comes to safety.
“It’s about understanding that each of us has a role to play in the safety and protection of one another,” William Pines from the Maryland State Highway Administration said.
With an active construction site as the backdrop — at the interchange between Pennsylvania Avenue and Suitland Parkway — roadway workers spoke up.
“We are not just workers, we are people — real people. We are parents, siblings, friends and neighbors. So when you see us out there, please pay attention to that.” Dawn Hopkins with Flagger Force Traffic Control Services said.
Hopkins says she’s had to sound an alarm to get her crew out of dangerous situations.
“Please slow down, stay alert…and watch out for us in the workzones,” Hopkins added.
While the number of crashes in Maryland work zones in 2025 remains concerning, it is lower than in 2024. In 2025, there were:
- 1,148 work zone crashes
- 9 work zone deaths
- 449 injuries
In 2024, there were:
- 1,302 work zone crashes,
- 12 work zone deaths, and
- 492 injuries
“While citations are down, we still had 19 citations that were issues where the automated system recorded drivers traveling in excess of 130 miles an hour in work zones,” Pines said.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has proclaimed April 22 as “Go Orange Day” in Maryland, urging everyone to wear orange in support of highway worker safety.
A moment of silence for road workers who have been killed will be observed at noon this Friday.
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at [email protected].
Question: How has the local real estate market performed so far this year?
Answer: After a year where market conditions softened in favor of buyers, the Northern VA real estate market became more favorable for sellers in the first quarter of 2026, while the Washington DC condo market continued to reel.
What is in this article:
- Northern VA, Arlington, and Washington DC Absorption Trends (demand)
- Northern VA, Arlington, and Washington DC Inventory Trends (supply)
- Washington DC List Price Trends (market values)
Northern VA & Arlington Inventory is Being Absorbed Faster
After four straight quarters of double-digit decreases in year-over-year absorption, the Northern VA and Arlington markets saw a ~8% increase in absorption rate.
What this means: Demand increased in Q1
Northern VA & Arlington New Listing Volume is Declining
After a promising trend of six straight quarters of year-over-year increases in the number of homes listed for sale in Northern VA, new listing activity fell by ~1% each of the previous two quarters.
What this means: Sellers have less competition, buyers have fewer choices
Washington DC Condo Absorption is Plummeting
The absorption rate for DC condos has declined year-over-year for 16 quarters straight and 23 out of the past 26 quarters.
What this means: It is difficult to find buyers for DC condos
Washington DC Condo Inventory Declined Slightly
Total inventory declined by 3.4% year-over-year, the first quarterly drop since Q4 2023. Still, there were great than 2x more condos for sale in DC in Q1 2026 than Q1 2020
What this means: Motivated sellers must compete aggressively with each other for buyers
Washington DC Condos Keep Getting Cheaper
The average price of a DC condo listed for sale is 9.4% less than it was in Q1 2025 and ~9% less than it was ten years ago.
What this means: Even lowering the price won’t guarantee a buyer
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
We have access to the most pre and off-market listings across the DMV of any brokerage and are happy to share what’s available with anybody who asks.
Below are some of our team’s pre/off-market listings, details and additional listings available by request:
- Westover – 4BR/2BA/2,000sqft – Detached Single Family (2000) – 23rd St N Arlington VA 22205
- Green Valley – 5BR/4.5BA/3,000sqft – Detached Single Family (2020) – 24th St S Arlington VA 22206
- Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA/2,400sqft – Townhouse (2008) – N George Mason Dr Arlington VA 22203
- Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA+office/4,000 sqft – Four Townhouses (2026/2027) – 11th St N Arlington VA 22201
- Rosslyn – 2BR/2BA/1,800sqft – Condo (2021) – 1781 N Pierce St Arlington VA 22209
- Rosslyn – 3BR/2.5BA/2,400sqft – Condo (1986) – 1530 Key Blvd Arlington VA 22209
- Williamsburg – 6BR/5.5BA/5,500 sqft – Detached Single Family (2026) – 27th St N Arlington VA 22207
- Yorktown – 6BR/6.5BA/6,000+ sqft – Detached Single Family (2026) – N Greencastle St Arlington VA 22207
Eli and his team believe that your real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for their clients through real advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “on behalf of the Department of Education (ED),” on Monday released a Notice Inviting Grant Applications for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program. Applications are due by May 29.
Last November, ED announced that it had entered into an interagency agreement with HHS to administer the CCAMPIS program. This is the first CCAMPIS competition conducted under this arrangement.
Approximately $73.5 million will go to institutions of higher education that awarded at least $250,000 in Pell grants to enrolled students in FY 2025. HHS will award about 148 grants, ranging from $150,000 to $1 million.
The terms of the grant competition are not significantly different than prior competitions. As before, there are two absolute grant priorities that every application must address – leveraging non-federal resources and utilizing a sliding-fee scale for low-income parents.
This year’s competition includes only one invitational priority that reflects the Trump administration’s general educational policy. The new priority, entitled “Expanding Education Choice in Early Learning Settings,” encourages applications that “expand access to education choice … including by empowering parents in choosing the early learning setting that best meets their family’s needs.” Flexible childcare programs that include drop-in care and care during nontraditional hours are also encouraged.
One other notable difference from prior competitions is an expanded “Terms and Conditions” section that not only requires compliance with applicable civil rights laws, but also refers to Trump administration Executive Orders and guidance on racial discrimination that clarify “the application of federal antidiscrimination laws to programs or initiatives that may involve discriminatory practices, including those labeled as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) programs.” This includes any “discriminatory equity ideology [as defined in Executive Order 14190] in violation of a federal antidiscrimination law.”
The exact scope of these terms is unclear because courts have not found many of the practices described in these Executive Orders and guidance documents to be violations of federal law.
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