Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crash [View all]

Source: BBC

Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter over 2009 plane crash

3 hours ago
Sofia Ferreira Santos


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Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of manslaughter over a 2009 plane crash which killed 228 people. ... The Paris Appeals Court found the airline and aircraft manufacturer "solely and entirely responsible" for the incident, in which flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

The passenger jet stalled during a storm and plunged into the water, killing all on board. ... A court had previously cleared the companies in April 2023, but they were found guilty on Thursday after an eight-week trial. Both have repeatedly denied the charges and say they will appeal.

All 12 crew members and 216 passengers on board the flight were killed when the plane crashed into the sea from a height of 38,000ft (11,580m), making it the deadliest incident in French aviation history. ... The wreckage was located after a long search of 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles) of sea floor. But the flight recorder was not found until 2011, after months of deep-sea searches.

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In 2012, French investigators found that a combination of technical failure involving the plane's sensors and the pilots' inability to react to the aircraft stalling led to it plunging into the sea. ... While the pilots had been confused by faulty air-speed readings, they mistakenly pointed the nose of the plane upwards when it stalled instead of down. Since the crash, pilot training has been improved and the speed sensors replaced.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czd2qmdvmq6o