Nelson Faria Marinho shows a picture of his son Nelson Marinho, who lost his life in the 2009 Air France flight 447 accident. AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo
Nelson Faria Marinho shows a picture of his son Nelson Marinho, who lost his life in the 2009 Air France flight 447 accident. AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo
Nelson Faria Marinho shows a picture of his son Nelson Marinho, who lost his life in the 2009 Air France flight 447 accident. AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo
Nelson Faria Marinho shows a picture of his son Nelson Marinho, who lost his life in the 2009 Air France flight 447 accident. AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo

Manslaughter charges to be dropped in Air France crash


Nicky Harley
  • English
  • Arabic

French magistrates investigating the 2009 crash of a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, in which 228 people died, have ordered charges against Airbus and Air France be dropped.

Air France Flight 447 plunged into the Atlantic during a storm on June 1 that year, after a malfunction in its pitot tubes, which enable pilots to monitor their speed.

The sources said the magistrates had ordered that manslaughter charges against Airbus and Air France be dropped.

Magistrates Nicolas Aubertin and Fabienne Bernard said they found the accident was caused by a unique combination of factors that "brought up evidence of previously unperceivable dangers".

They said they could not ascribe fault to the companies in what appeared to be a case of pilot error.

Representatives of the victims' families called the decision an insult to the memory of their loved ones and said they would appeal against it.

"How can one not think that this decision is guided by economic interests larger than those of justice?" they said.

Olivier Morice, lawyer for several victims' relatives, indicated his surprise that Air France did not even receive censure.

Mr Morice said he would appeal against the "very disputable" decision.

Nelsonfaria Marinho, chairman of the Brazilian relatives' association, said he was indignant at an "absurd and corporatist decision".

An investigation is continuing in Brazil, which lost 59 nationals in the crash.

It was the worst crash in Air France's history and prompted reviews of pilot training after it emerged that one of the co-pilots reacted incorrectly when the plane stalled after the speed sensors froze.

It took two years to find the wreckage of the Airbus A330, which was eventually found by remote-controlled submarines at a depth of 3,900 metres.

Magistrates later charged Air France and Airbus with manslaughter, but prosecutors in July recommended that only the airline face trial.

They accused Air France of negligence in failing to train its pilots about how to react to malfunctions of the pitot tubes, after several incidents involving the sensors in the months leading up to the crash.

In such cases the magistrates leading the investigation have the final say over prosecutors, but the decision can be appealed by defence or civil plaintiffs.

Since the disaster, pilot training on dealing with unforeseen circumstances has been stepped up in France and other countries.

Aircraft safety has been in the spotlight this year after two crashes involving the 737 Max model from US maker Boeing, which has led to a global grounding of the aircraft.

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Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

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It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

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Fund-raising tips for start-ups

Develop an innovative business concept

Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors

Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19

Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.) 

Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months

Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses

Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business

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Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
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