Air France and Airbus found guilty of manslaughter in case involving Roscrea Doctor
Three Irish doctors, Aisling Butler from Roscrea, Jane Deasy from Dublin and Eithne Walls from Co Down died in the 2009 crash
In a shocking turnaround Air France and Airbus have been found guilty of the manslaughter of three Irish Doctors, including Dr Aisling Butler from Roscrea, who were among the 228 people who perished in the 2009 crash in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Paris Appeals Court on Thursday found Air France and aircraft manufacturer Airbus guilty of manslaughter over the 2009 crash of Flight AF447, one of the deadliest aviation disasters in modern history.
The ruling marks a major reversal after both companies had previously been acquitted in an earlier criminal trial linked to the tragedy.
Flight AF447 was travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, killing all 228 people on board.
Three Irish doctors, Aisling Butler, of Roscrea in Tipperary, Jane Deasy from Dublin and Eithne Walls, from Ballygowan in Co Down, were among the dead.
Dr Butler is remembered in her hometown and in the Sacred Heart Primary School, of which she was a past pupil, a library was created in her honour.
The Airbus A330 disappeared over the Atlantic during severe weather conditions while crossing an area of turbulence near the equator.
Investigators later determined that iced-over pitot tubes — sensors used to measure airspeed — caused conflicting flight data that confused the pilots.
The aircraft stalled and plunged into the ocean after the crew failed to regain control.
Relatives of the victims spent more than a decade pushing for criminal accountability from both Air France and Airbus.
The appeals court concluded that failures connected to training, risk awareness and technical systems contributed to the crash.
The ruling is considered highly significant because aviation manufacturers and airlines are rarely convicted in criminal proceedings following major accidents.