In a tragic incident that occurred in 2009, a plane flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed, resulting in the deaths of 228 passengers and crew members. A Paris appeals court ruled on Wednesday (May 20) that aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the airline Air France were guilty of involuntary manslaughter in this incident.
This event marked the deadliest aviation disaster in French history, triggering a 17-year legal battle. The lawsuit involved two of France’s most prominent industry giants, as well as the families of the victims mainly from France, Brazil, and Germany.
On Wednesday, some relatives of the deceased passengers and crew gathered to hear the verdict. The Airbus A330 plane (Flight AF447) went into a stall and plunged into the Atlantic Ocean during a stormy night, claiming the lives of all onboard from 33 countries. The aircraft plummeted from an altitude of 38,000 feet (about 11,580 meters).
Previously, a lower court had acquitted both companies in April 2023, but after this appellate trial, they were found guilty.
After an extensive deep-sea search, the wreckage of the crashed aircraft and its black boxes were found two years later in 2011. In 2012, investigators from the French aviation accident investigation agency (BEA) determined that the aircraft entered a stall due to mishandling by the crew of the issue related to sensor icing, leading to a sharp drop in lift under the wings.
However, prosecutors focused on the alleged negligence within the aircraft manufacturer and airline, including inadequate pilot training and failure to effectively follow up on similar sensor failure incidents that occurred earlier.
The court ultimately ordered each company to pay the maximum penalty for involuntary manslaughter – €225,000 (approximately $261,720) per company, in line with the prosecutor’s request during the eight-week trial.
Critics widely condemned these maximum fines as symbolic punishment since they represent only a few minutes of the companies’ revenue. However, family groups of the victims expressed that the guilty verdict validated their years of suffering and struggle.
In the closing statements in November last year, the deputy prosecutor criticized the companies’ actions as “unacceptable” and accused them of “nonsense and fabrications” in court.
Both Airbus and Air France had previously denied the allegations. Legal experts in France believe that the two companies are likely to appeal to the highest court in France, indicating that the legal process may be further delayed for several years.
(This article referenced reports from the BBC and Reuters)