French court finds Airbus, Air France guilty of manslaughter in 2009 crash
Summary
A French appeals court found Airbus and Air France responsible for manslaughter in the 2009 crash of flight AF447, which killed 228 people. The court ordered both companies to pay compensation to victims’ families and ruled they were fully responsible for the crash caused by sensor failures and pilot reaction.Key Facts
- The crash occurred on June 1, 2009, during flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing 228 people.
- The court said Airbus and Air France were "solely and entirely responsible" for the accident.
- Each passenger’s family was awarded 225,000 euros (about $261,720) in compensation.
- The companies deny the charges and plan to appeal the ruling.
- Investigators found that faulty pitot tubes (which measure airspeed) iced over, causing incorrect speed readings.
- Pilots were unprepared to handle the emergency caused by the sensor failure.
- Airbus and Air France did not provide high-altitude training that might have helped pilots manage the problem.
- The crash was France’s worst aviation disaster by death toll.
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