A French appeals court on 22/5 ruled that airline Air France and aircraft manufacturer Airbus were "fully responsible for the accident involving flight AF447." The verdict overturns a 2023 lower court decision that had acquitted both companies.

The AF447 tragedy occurred on 1/6/2009, when an Air France-operated Airbus A330, flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, lost control over the Atlantic Ocean. The aircraft subsequently plunged into the sea, killing all 216 passengers and 12 crew members, totaling 228 fatalities. This remains the most serious aviation tragedy in French history.

Judge Sylvie Madec, presiding over the Paris appeals court, explained that the lower court had not adequately considered the "chain of causation" that led to the pilots' actions and the subsequent deaths. "The AF447 disaster itself was an accident waiting to happen and could have been entirely avoided if each company involved had fully recognized the seriousness of the issue," she stated.

Brazilian navy recovers debris from the Air France Airbus A330 in the Atlantic Ocean on 8/6/2009. *Photo: AFP*

During the appeals hearing, reports detailed how the aircraft's pitot tubes, which measure airspeed, became blocked by ice crystals. This occurred as AF447 flew through a storm over the mid-Atlantic, triggering alarms in the cockpit and disengaging the autopilot. Following the sensor malfunction, the pilots pitched the aircraft's nose up, causing it to stall and plunge into the sea.

While the court acknowledged potential pilot errors during the 4 minutes and 30 seconds from when the sensors froze until the plane crashed, it concluded that the flight crew was not adequately prepared to handle such a complex incident. "The pilots of flight AF447 truly tried everything to escape this horrific situation. They did their utmost and cannot be held responsible," the court stated.

Lawyers representing the victims' families argued that both Air France and Airbus were aware of technical deficiencies on the crashed Airbus A330, but pilots lacked training for high-altitude emergency situations.

The appeals court determined that Airbus had underestimated the severity of issues related to the pitot tubes and failed to provide adequate information to airlines operating its aircraft. Air France was found to have inadequately trained its pilots and failed to provide appropriate information to the flight crew.

Consequently, the court ordered each party to pay a fine of 225.000 EUR (261.000 USD), the maximum penalty for corporate manslaughter. Although the fine is symbolic, the verdict is considered a significant blow to the reputation of both companies.

Both Air France and Airbus announced their intention to appeal. Air France acknowledged that further appeals would prolong the already lengthy legal process, particularly for the victims' families, but emphasized that its criminal responsibility had been rejected twice previously. Airbus's lawyer, Simon Ndiaye, affirmed that the legal battle would continue.

Thanh Danh (According to AFP, AP)