A French court on Wednesday delivered a dramatic verdict against Airbus and Air ‌France over France’s worst air disaster, ruling that both companies were guilty of corporate manslaughter in the 2009 Rio-Paris plane crash off Brazil.
Both companies have been ordered to pay the maximum fine of €225,000 ($260,971) each. While the amount is symbolic, it damages the reputation of both companies. The two companies said they would appeal the ruling.
The Paris Court of Appeal said that the French flag carrier and Europe’s leading aerospace manufacturer were «solely and entirely responsible,» for the incident.
What happened during the crash?
On June 1, 2009, Air France Flight 447 was traveling from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France. The Airbus 330 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean at 2:14 a.m. local time, killing all 228 people aboard.Â
The Brazilian Navy recovered some wreckage in the immediate aftermath, but it wasn’t until 2011 that French specialists collected the black box flight records from the ocean floor.
French investigators determined that the crew reacted incorrectly to inconsistencies between instruments that displayed airspeed measurements. Ice crystals were likely blocking the aircraft’s pilot tubes, causing the autopilot to disengage and the plane entered into a stall that the crew failed to correct.
A final report found that the accident resulted from a combination of small mechanical issues the crew was not thoroughly trained to correct, as well as poor communication between the pilot and co-pilot that resulted in continued human error.Â
Much has been made in the aftermath of the relationship between pilots and co-pilots in airlines around the world, with experts from both the official investigation and independent analyses suggesting that co-pilots are often hesitant to contradict their superior officers in emergency situations.
Air France paid family members €17,500 ($20,300) compensation per victim in 2009.
Why has the case taken so long?
The long time required to recover the plane’s wreckage and carry out a thorough investigation hampered a speedy start to the legal process.Â
The French justice system is also notoriously slow and backlogged and most cases take years to come before a judge. After the trial finally began in 2022, Airbus and Air France were initially acquitted of wrongdoing in 2023. However, prosecutors appealed, which resulted in Thursday’s verdict.
Edited by: Sean SinicoÂ
