March 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has

opened a criminal investigation into the Boeing 737 MAX

blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight, the Wall Street

Journal reported on Saturday citing documents and people

familiar with the matter.

Investigators have contacted some passengers and crew on the

Jan. 5 flight, which made an emergency landing in Portland,

Oregon, after a fuselage panel ripped off midair, WSJ said.