Passengers of Alaska Airlines 1282 flight receive letter from FBI identifying them as victims of a possible crime

Passengers of the Alaska Airlines flight that was forced to make an emergency landing when a door panel fell off midair have received a letter from the FBI identifying them as victims of a possible crime.

Flight 1282 was on its way from Oregon to California Jan. 5. with 177 people onboard when the incident occurred. The Federal Aviation Administration announced an investigation into Boeing days later.

Attorney Mark Lindquist, who represents passengers on the flight in litigation against Boeing and Alaska Airlines, shared the letter from the Department of Justice with NBC News.

“I’m contacting you because we have identified you as a possible victim of a crime,” a victim specialist with the FBI’s Seattle division wrote in the letter.

The specialist says that the FBI launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which “can be a lengthy undertaking,” adding that they can’t tell the passengers about its progress at this time. The specialist also encourages passengers to contact an email with the alias “AlaskaFlightVictims” with any questions or comments.

People who received the letter will be updated on the case by email, or through their victim notification system, the specialist said.

NBC News has reached out to the FBI for additional information.

Last week, the DOJ opened a criminal investigation into the door plug blowout on the Boeing 737 Max 9 plane incident, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to NBC News.

Lindquist said he was pleased that the DOJ is investigating the near-disaster.

“We want answers,” Lindquist said. “We want accountability. We want safer Boeing planes. And a DOJ investigation helps advance our goals.”