On May 31, 2009, Air France Flight 447, a nighttime flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, went missing. Almost four hours after takeoff, there were no warnings before the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. An incident graphic timeline by ABC News shares in detail what has been known about the horrifying fate of Flight 447.
Atlantic Crash
The 2009 crash, which claimed the lives of all 228 onboard passengers and crew, is regarded as one of the worst and most puzzling aviation tragedies of modern times. One theory holds that the co-pilots relied too much on the automated systems of the aircraft and lacked adequate training.
More than 13 years after the tragic commercial flight accident involving the Air France jet, the French plane manufacturer Airbus will be in Paris next week for a historic trial, much to the comfort of relatives who have been seeking justice for more than a decade.
According to The Strait Times, after a two-year quest for the plane's black boxes, French investigators discovered that the 205-ton jet's pilots had ignored warnings and improperly handled a momentary loss of data from disabled sensors.
News of these findings sparked protests from bereaved families asking for French carrier and planemaker Airbus to take responsibility for the apparent lethal mistakes on their end.
Stalled Justice
The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) also revealed to the public that prior to the crash, Air France had reported concerns about increased freezing sensor incidents and had begun receiving improved speed probes. Following the disclosure of the information, BEA made several safety recommendations.
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Following experts, the landmark trial will hinge on the relevance of pilot and sensor error, inconsistent displays, or fatigue. In addition, the Paris hearing next week will be the first time that French corporations, rather than individuals, have been put on trial for "involuntary manslaughter" as a result of an airplane crash.
The trial against Air France and Airbus for their indirect roles in the Rio-Paris crash that claimed 228 lives in 2009 was ordered by the Paris Court of Appeal on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
According to Aviation24, the general prosecutor's office requested this most recent decision of the court of appeal's investigative chamber, which invalidates the dismissal that was made in 2019 in favor of the airline and the manufacturer at the conclusion of the investigations.
A Closer Look
Reuters reports that, despite the pending trial, the maximum fine for either company, if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, is US $220,612, or five times the highest possible financial penalty for an individual, who, unlike a company, is also subject to imprisonment. It will be interesting to see how the justice system will play out in this case.
The 2009 incident, which is regarded as one of a small number of accidents that changed aviation, caused a broad reshaping of training and technology. But reforms have either been thwarted by industrial disputes or have slowed to the methodical rate of global regulation.
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Written by John Lopez
