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Manslaughter Trial Underway for Air France Crash

Airbus blames the accident on pilot error, while Air France argues the pilots became confused and overwhelmed by conflicting data and alarms in the cockpit.

Meg Godlewski
Verified
The heads of both Air France and Airbus pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a French criminal court in a first-of-its-kind manslaughter trial over the 2009 crash of an Air France Airbus A330 in the Atlantic that killed 228 people. [stock image]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Air France and Airbus are on trial for involuntary manslaughter following the 2009 AF447 crash that killed 228 people, with both companies pleading not guilty.
  • The accident occurred when the aircraft's speed sensors iced up during an equatorial storm, leading to confusing airspeed indications, autopilot disconnection, and the flight crew's incorrect response to the subsequent stall.
  • Airbus attributes the crash to pilot error, while Air France argues pilots were overwhelmed by conflicting data; investigations also revealed prior discussions about faulty pitot probes and Airbus's potentially slow response to related issues.
  • Victim relatives have expressed hostility toward the company executives, viewing potential fines as insignificant compared to the companies' revenues.
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The heads of both Air France and Airbus pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a French criminal court in a first-of-its-kind manslaughter trial over the 2009 crash of an Air France Airbus A330 in the Atlantic that killed 228 people, according to a report.

The flight, identified as AF447, was enroute from Rio de Janeiro to Paris the night of the June 1, 2009, accident. 

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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