The Strategist

Air France and Airbus found not guilty in crash with 228 deaths



04/18/2023 - 10:10



The Paris court found Airbus and Air France not at fault In the accident of flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on June 1, 2009. All 228 passengers of the aircraft perished in the collision. It was the biggest crash in Air France's history.



Maxime from Le François , Martinique
Maxime from Le François , Martinique
According to Reuters, the punishment was given in France's first-ever corporate manslaughter trial. The maximum fine that may be imposed under this provision is €225,000. This fine may be written off against each defendant.

The court acknowledged that a problem with the speed sensors could have contributed to the collision. The Court also considered the fact that Airbus and Air France were both aware of this issue in 2002, but they didn't make any attempts to fix it until the tragedy in 2009.

Despite this, the court acknowledged that the examination into the crash's circumstances—which took place more than 13 years ago—did not clearly identify the cause of the accident as either the aforementioned technological malfunction, the pilot's error, or some other element. The judge ruled that "the probable causal link is insufficient to establish the fact of the crime."

source: reuters.com