Air France and Airbus Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter in 2009 Rio-Paris Crash
The Paris Court of Appeal found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the 2009 Rio-Paris flight crash that killed 228 people. Each company was fined €225,000, overturning a previous acquittal. The ruling holds them «solely and entirely responsible» for the disaster, caused by pitot tube issues and inadequate pilot training.
The Paris Court of Appeal has found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the 2009 crash of Flight AF447 from Rio to Paris, which killed all 228 people on board. The court ruled both companies were «solely and entirely responsible» and ordered each to pay a €225,000 fine, the maximum for corporate manslaughter. This verdict overturns a 2023 lower court acquittal and represents significant reputational damage for both.
The crash, France’s worst aviation disaster, occurred on June 1, 2009, when the Airbus A330 plunged into the Atlantic after pilots lost control. Victims included 216 passengers and 12 crew, among them 72 French, 58 Brazilians, and three Irish doctors: Jane Deasy, Eithne Walls, and Aisling Butler. The appeal trial, held from September to December last year, followed prosecutors' decision to appeal the initial acquittal.
Lawyers for the families argued both companies knew about issues with pitot tubes, which measure flight speed, and that pilots lacked training for high-altitude emergencies. The court heard that ice crystals blocked the tubes during a mid-Atlantic storm, causing alarms and autopilot disengagement. Experts noted pilots then put the plane into a climb, leading to a stall and crash.
Airbus was criticized for underestimating sensor problems and failing to inform airlines, while Air France was found guilty of inadequate pilot training for pitot tube icing situations and insufficient crew information.