Joe Escobar, Editorial Director, D.O.M. magazine
CNNMoney.com reports today that the trial of Continental Airlines and two of its employees for manslaughter over the 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde will start in February of next year before a criminal court in Pontoise, France. A former French civil aviation official (France's FAA) and two senior members of the Concorde program will also be tried on the same charges.
The French accident inquiry concluded in December 2004 and found that the crash was partly caused by a strip of metal that fell on the runway from a Continental Airlines DC-10 that took off just before the Concorde. The Concorde ran over the strip, causing one of its tires to blowout and send debris into a fuel tank.
The two Continental Airlines employees being named in the suit are the mechanic who allegedly installed the non-standard strip and the airline chief of maintenance.
First of all, we need to remember that the trial hasn't begun. The allegations in the lawsuit are just that -- allegations.
That being said, there is a lot on the line here. This isn't a civil case where families of the deceased are suing everyone and anyone to try to get compensated for their losses. This is a criminal case. The mechanic, the maintenance director, and the airline are facing manslaughter charges.
Imagine the ramifications if there is a trend towards criminalization of maintenance errors. Who will work on aircraft then? Who would want to?
You can read the full article at http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200901121014DOWJONESDJONLINE000335_FORTUNE5.htm
Thanks for reading!
Joe Escobar
