Air France, Airbus Acquitted Over 2009 Rio-Paris Crash

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Facts

  • On Monday, both Airbus and Air France were acquitted of manslaughter charges by a French court for their involvement in the 2009 crash of Flight 447. The aircraft was traveling from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France. All 228 passengers and crew died in the accident.1
  • During the reading of the verdict, the court said that if 'errors' occurred, there is 'no certain link of causality' to show that the errors resulted in the mishap.2
  • During the trial, aircraft experts testified that, after a mid-Atlantic storm, ice crystals caused a malfunction that sounded alarms in the cockpit and caused the autopilot to disengage. The pilots responded by putting the Airbus A330 into a climb which caused the aircraft to lose altitude resulting in the crash; both Airbus and Air France maintained that the crash was the result of a pilot error.3
  • The reading of the verdict appeared to have stunned the families of the victims as they began to sob and some erupted in anger. Alain Jakubowicz, a lawyer for the victims' association said, 'It's a verdict that is hard for the victims' families to understand... there were errors. This accident could have been avoided. It should have been avoided.'4
  • If Airbus and Air France had been found guilty of manslaughter, both companies faced a maximum corporate fine of up to $246K. Some settlements have also reportedly occurred for undisclosed amounts.5

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2The Journal.ie, 3Al Jazeera, 4CBS and 5Reuters.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by PBS NewsHour. The French courts have gone soft in the trial of Airbus and Air France. Both companies have come out of the accident as largely untouchable. In their minds, the loss of loved ones is secondary to the loss of their aircraft. The families of the victims promised that they would bring the companies to justice and the truth would be known. It's important that the victims do not die in vain and that the safety of others on these faulty aircraft is protected. Airbus knew the planes were dangerous and yet they did nothing.
  • Narrative B, as provided by New York Times. Airbus and Air France have maintained throughout the years that the error that caused the crash lies with the pilots. Even so, Air France will continue to remember and honor the victims and has offered its compassion and sympathy to the families as they continue to navigate these tragic times. Airbus remains committed to its safety-first culture and will strive to remain a safe aircraft builder for passengers and employees alike.