Register
Aircraft News Pilot Proficiency

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]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Air France and Airbus are on trial in France for involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of flight AF447, which killed 228 people, with both companies pleading not guilty.
  • The accident resulted from iced-up speed sensors leading to conflicting airspeed data, autopilot disconnection, and the flight crew's failure to correctly respond to the aircraft's stalled condition.
  • Airbus is suspected of reacting too slowly to prior issues with the speed sensors, while it blames pilot error; Air France attributes the pilots' confusion to overwhelming conflicting data in the cockpit.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.

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.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE