A UK coroner has ruled that three British victims of the Boeing 737 MAX crash in Ethiopia were unlawfully killed. The coroner noted the failure of the plane's MCAS system, along with Boeing's failure to properly disclose the system to relevant authorities or in flight manuals.
British MAX victims were unlawfully killed
As reported by the BBC, West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield ruled that the deaths of three British nationals - Sam Pegram, Oliver Vick, and Joanna Toole - during the Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crash on March 10th, 2019 were unlawful following an inquest this week.
25-year-old Pegram and 45-year-old Vick were both humanitarian workers, while Toole, 36, was a sustainability campaigner. A fourth UK national, Abdulqadir Qasim, 46, also died in the crash but was not formally recorded as part of the hearing as he was not repatriated back to the UK.
Schofield said,
"We should not forget the 157 people who cruelly lost their lives. This huge loss will be borne by their families and friends all around the world. The process has taken over four years, it’s been a long and difficult journey. I hope through this process, you (the families) felt you had a voice."
This finding will automatically bring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the UK's principal prosecution authority. Boeing was granted immunity from prosecution after striking a deal with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2021 in exchange for a $2.5 billion fine - while Boeing is outside the UK's jurisdiction for criminal prosecution, a CPS ruling could still have a major impact on decisions made by judicial bodies elsewhere.
Critical information deliberately not disclosed
Echoing the findings of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority's (ECAA) final report on the crash in December 2022, Schofield highlighted the failings of the MAX's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) system.
The coroner also noted that two Boeing employees deliberately deceived regulators and operators on details of the MCAS system, while Boeing provided Ethiopian Airlines' training department with "incomplete" information in the aftermath of the Lion Air crash in October 2018, also caused by the MCAS system.
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Legal updates
Boeing's immunity from prosecution will be challenged in Louisiana later this month, and this will be the first of many cases against the planemaker. A US judge is expected to set a November trial date for families pursuing damages against Boeing - according to 7News, there are so many families suing the company that courts will have to hold multiple trials by separating the families into groups of four to six.
In May, US Federal Judge Jorge Alonso rejected Boeing's claim that it shouldn't have to pay compensation for the victims' pain and suffering. Arguing against Boeing's belief that the victims did not suffer as they "died upon impact," Alonso said the evidence shows passengers "perceived that they were going to crash, horrifically, to their certain death."
Do you agree with the UK coroner's decision that the Boeing 737 MAX crash victims were unlawfully killed? Do you think Boeing's immunity from prosecution will eventually be drawn back? Let us know in the comments.