The current lawsuit was filed by a Canadian citizen who lost both parents and a sister in the crash. Therefore, the court is not considering the issue of guilt, but exclusively determining the amount of financial compensation to be paid to the relatives by the aircraft manufacturer. Jury selection is one of the initial phases of the proceedings.
Crash Shortly After Takeoff and MCAS Failure
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed approximately six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi. The investigation revealed that the accident was significantly contributed to by the malfunction of the MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System), which, based on erroneous data from a single angle-of-attack sensor, repeatedly and automatically set the aircraft into a descent that the crew could not recover from.
The tragedy followed a similar crash of Lion Air 610 in October 2018. These two accidents led to the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet, which lasted almost 20 months and significantly impacted the operations of airlines and the manufacturer itself.
Impact Extends Beyond the Lawsuit
The 737 MAX aircraft returned to service only after software modifications, changes to crew training, and stricter certification processes by regulatory authorities. Nevertheless, some civil disputes remain open, and the current trial may influence other unresolved lawsuits.
The case also reopens the debate about the responsibility of aircraft manufacturers, the role of certification authorities, and the establishment of a safety culture in civil aviation.
Sources: Flying Magazine, Reuters
