Air France and Airbus are set to face a new trial over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that resulted in the deaths of 228 people. The trial, which begins on Monday, comes after the companies were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter two years ago.
On June 1, 2009, Air France flight AF447, an Airbus-built A330 aircraft, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while traveling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. All 216 passengers and 12 crew members on board were killed, including 72 French nationals and 58 Brazilians. The crash was the worst disaster in Air France’s history.
The initial trial centered on the role of defective “pitot tubes,” which are used to measure flight speed. A malfunction in these tubes, caused by ice crystals during a mid-Atlantic storm, led to alarms sounding in the cockpit and the autopilot system disengaging. The pilots then put the plane into a climb, causing it to stall and crash into the ocean.
Air France and Airbus attributed the crash to pilot error, denying any criminal liability. However, lawyers for the victims’ families argued that both companies were aware of the pitot tube issue before the crash and failed to provide adequate training to pilots on how to handle such an emergency.
The court found that Airbus had committed “four acts of imprudence or negligence,” including failing to replace certain models of pitot tubes and withholding information from flight operators. Air France was found to have committed two “acts of imprudence” in its dissemination of information about the faulty tubes to pilots. Despite these findings, the court ruled that there was not a strong enough causal link between these failings and the accident to establish an offense.
The acquittal was met with outrage from the victims’ families, who felt that the companies had been let off too easily. The prosecution subsequently lodged an appeal, allowing the full potential of the legal appeals procedure to be explored. If convicted, Air France and Airbus may face a fine of 225,000 euros and significant reputational damage.
The appeals trial is expected to close on November 27. The case highlights the ongoing quest for justice and accountability in the aftermath of the tragic crash. As the trial progresses, it will be closely watched by the families of the victims and the aviation industry as a whole.
