A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing following a recent Indonesian plane crash that killed nearly 200 people.
189 Killed in Indonesian Plane Crash
On October 29, 2018, at 6:20 a.m., Lion Air Flight 610 took off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, Indonesia for a scheduled 1-hour-and-10-minute passenger flight to Pangkal Pinang. Just thirteen minutes later, however, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane’s flight ended in waters off West Java that are 30 to 35 meters (98 to 115 feet) deep, after having reached a maximum altitude of only 5,200 feet.
The plane had been carrying 181 passengers, including one child and two babies, and eight crew members. All 189 people aboard Flight 610 were killed, making the Indonesian plane crash the second deadliest airline accident in the nation’s history. The crash was also the first major accident involving the 737 MAX, the deadliest accident involving a 737 aircraft, and the worst accident for Lion Air in its 18 years in operation.
Boeing Named in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Soon after the tragic incident, Indonesia’s People’s Representative Council announced that it would examine the Standard Operating Procedure of Lion Air, the airworthiness of the aircraft, and the health history of the crew of Flight 610 in order to ascertain the cause. A recent lawsuit, however, places the blame for the Indonesian plane crash squarely on one party – Boeing.
On December 24, 2018, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Cook County on behalf of the parents and three siblings of Sudibyo Onggo Wardoyo, 40, of Jakarta, Indonesia, a passenger who was killed in the Indonesian plane crash. The lawsuit alleges that sensors on the 737 MAX 8 plane provided inaccurate data to its flight control system, thereby causing the plane’s anti-stall system to engage improperly, an error that ultimately led the plane to crash shortly after takeoff.
The wrongful death lawsuit further alleges that Boeing failed to provide adequate instructions informing pilots how to respond to and disengage the anti-stall system, a situation that the family’s attorney said “was like Boeing first blindfolded and then tied the hands of the pilots.”
Black box flight data shows that the anti-stall system repeatedly forced the nose of the plane down while the pilots were trying to keep it up. Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee also reported that a similar incident had happened on the plane’s flight immediately prior to the Indonesian plane crash, though pilots had been able to overcome the problem in that instance.
Chicago Wrongful Death Lawyers
When someone is killed as a result of the misconduct of others, the family and heirs of the deceased may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit against those who may have been responsible for the death.
With more than $2 billion successfully recovered for our clients, the Chicago wrongful death lawyers at GWC Law can provide you with the experience and determination that you need to fight for the justice that you deserve.
If your loved one has been killed because of someone else’s negligent actions, please contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our wrongful death lawyers. Call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
<< BACK TO BLOG POSTS