By Ilaria Grasso Macola
Airbus and Air France have pleaded not guilty to “involuntary manslaughter” as the nine-week trial over their involvement in the 2009 Rio plane crash started today.
The airline and the manufacturer are on trial in a Paris court 13 years after an Air France plane from Rio to Paris crashed into the Atlantic, killing all 228 people aboard.
Airbus laid the blame on the pilots’ feet while Air France said its crew members had been confused by the alarms.
The BEA – the French government agency dedicated to investigating aviation incidents – said the pilots did not report to the aircraft’s stall alerts.
Instead of pushing the aircraft’s nose down, the pilots yanked it up leading to a four-minute freefall in the ocean.
The agency also reported that there were inconsistent signals from the flight director – a display that shows the pilot the attitude required to follow a certain trajectory.
City A.M. has approached both parties for comment.
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