Family’s fight for justice goes on after air crash
BRITISH families whose loved ones were killed in the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft – including the parents of United Nations worker Joanna Toole, from Exmouth – have urged the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) not to allow it to fly again until continuing concerns about the aircraft’s safety have been addressed.
A total of 346 passengers and crew were killed when two Boeing 737 Max aircraft operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashed into the Java Sea off Indonesia and near Addis Ababa, Ethiopian, respectively.
The victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 included Joanna Toole, a 36-year-old international consultant to the United Nations from Exmouth.
Joanna’s family, as well as a number of other relatives of those who lost their lives on board Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302, are represented by Irwin Mitchell’s specialist Aviation Law team.
Working with colleagues in the United States, the Irwin Mitchell team is continuing with court proceedings against Boeing in Illinois.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the USA has recently paved the way for the Boeing 737 MAX return to US skies, the families of victims and their lawyers remain concerned about the safety of the aircraft.
In the last few days, even a former senior manager at Boeing’s 737 plant in Seattle has raised concerns over the safety of the plane. Currently, the aircraft remains grounded across Europe following EASA’s decision to do so in March 2019, but this decision is expected to be reversed later this month in the light of their publication last November of a proposed Airworthiness Directive and the closure of a consultation process in December.
Patrick Ky, the executive director of EASA, has recently gone further and commented that he is “certain” that the 737 MAX is now safe to fly in Europe. This comment and EASA’s proposed Airworthiness Directive come before publication of what is expected to be a detailed and independent report by EASA into the aircraft’s safety.
Joanna was one of the passengers who died in the crash. Her father, Adrian Toole, said: “It now appears that EASA has made its decision to allow the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again, even though its full safety report has not been made available as promised and the official accident investigation report into the crash of Flight ET302 has still not been published.
“EASA’s conduct is both astonishing and deeply worrying... it robs us and other interested parties of the opportunity to consider and make informed comment on its recommendations.”