Boeing will soon face a civil trial related to the tragic Ethiopian Airlines crash of March 2019, which resulted in the loss of 157 lives. The trial is set for federal court in Chicago, with one remaining plaintiff after most parties reached settlements.
This marks Boeing's first civil trial concerning the 737 MAX crashes, unless a settlement is reached, which is possible even after the trial begins. However, sources familiar with the case expect it to proceed.
Court records reveal that from April 2019 to March 2021, relatives of 155 crash victims gave depositions in wrongful death cases citing negligence. Currently, 30 cases remain unresolved, representing 29 deceased individuals, with the next trial scheduled for April 2025 unless all cases reach settlements.
Boeing has publicly accepted responsibility, acknowledging that the design of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) contributed to the accidents. This flight stabilizing system malfunctioned in both the Ethiopian Airlines crash and an earlier Lion Air crash in October 2018, which killed 189 people.
The 737 MAX, which began commercial service in 2017, was grounded for 20 months worldwide after the Ethiopian Airlines crash as Boeing worked on resolving safety issues.