Jeju Air Crash Victims' Families File Lawsuit Against Boeing

Claiming "Outdated Landing System Defect Caused the Accident"

The families of the victims of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster have filed a lawsuit against the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, claiming that a defect in the outdated landing system was the cause of the accident.

On April 22, officials from the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, who are investigating the cause of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident at Muan International Airport in Jeonnam, are conducting an on-site inspection of the azimuth facility (localizer). Photo by Yonhap News

Herrmann Law Group, the law firm representing the families, held a press conference at the Grand InterContinental Parnas Hotel in Seoul on the 16th and released the complaint, stating, "A fatal defect in the outdated landing system prevented the pilots from landing the aircraft safely."

The complaint explains that the electrical and hydraulic systems of the accident aircraft were based on an outdated design from 1958, and a critical defect was revealed during the landing process. It also states that the pilots were unable to resolve this issue, resulting in a failed landing.

In particular, the complaint argues that the failure of all deceleration devices, including the landing gear, to operate immediately after a bird strike was due to an aircraft defect caused by the aging system. It further claims that Boeing did not fundamentally improve key safety systems from the production of the first 737 in 1968 until the delivery of the accident aircraft in 2009.

Charles Herrmann, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said, "Boeing is evading responsibility for this accident and blaming the pilots. The families have decided to pursue the truth and seek justice in a U.S. court, as they were unable to uncover the truth in Korea."

Meanwhile, on December 29 of last year at 9:03 a.m., Jeju Air Flight 7C2216, which departed from Bangkok, Thailand, crash-landed at Muan International Airport and collided with the azimuth facility (localizer), resulting in the deaths of 179 people.