France revisits AF447 crash that claimed 228 lives, new info revealed
Plane crash (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The court in France has resumed the case of flight AF447, which crashed 16 years ago, claiming 228 lives, revealing new details of the tragedy, reports Reuters.
A new trial has begun in France against Air France and Airbus regarding the AF447 crash that occurred 16 years ago. In 2009, an Airbus A330 flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board.
In 2023, a French court acquitted both companies of involuntary manslaughter charges, finding insufficient evidence to establish a direct causal link between their actions and the crash. Prosecutors appealed the decision, and now the appellate court has launched a new two-month trial, which will include a full examination of the evidence.
After two years of searching for the black boxes, investigators determined that the tragedy occurred due to incorrect crew actions following the icing of the airspeed sensors. The pilots failed to respond appropriately to the emergency warnings, leading to aerodynamic stall and the aircraft’s crash.
The investigation also found that Airbus was aware of problems with the Pitot sensors, which measure airspeed, but reacted slowly. At the same time, Air France was criticized for insufficiently training pilots to handle such emergencies.
The previous court identified several instances of negligence by both companies, four by Airbus and one by Air France, but ruled that these were insufficient for criminal liability.
Prosecutors insist that the new trial carries not only legal but also symbolic significance. They believe the process will provide a cathartic effect for the victims’ families, who have been seeking justice for years. The maximum fine the companies could face if found guilty is €225,000, but the case holds important precedent value for French and global aviation.
During the first hearings, which began on Monday at 1:30 p.m. local time, executives from Airbus and Air France-KLM are expected to testify.
What is known about the AF447 tragedy
On June 1, 2009, an Airbus A330-200 operating flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, crashed into the northern Atlantic Ocean approximately mid-route.
All 228 people on board were killed.
The AF447 crash became one of the most high-profile tragedies in aviation history, leading to changes in pilot training standards and improvements in technical safety systems worldwide.
For context, on July 21, a dangerous incident occurred at Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City, where two passenger planes nearly collided on the runway due to an air traffic controller’s error.
On the same day, a Bangladesh Air Force training aircraft crashed onto the premises of Milestone School and College in the Uttara area of Dhaka.
