Families Allege that Outdated Hydraulics Were to Blame For the 179 Deaths

The families of 14 people killed in the crash of a Jeju Air B737-800 late last year are suing Boeing for alleged defects in the aircraft’s electric and hydraulic systems. While the investigation is ongoing, preliminary reports indicate that a bird strike and pilot decision-making are potential contributing factors.

The Boeing 737-800, operating as Flight 2216 from Seoul to Muan, struck a concrete beam and exploded after a failed belly landing, leaving only two survivors. According to the complaint, the aircraft suffered a bird strike while on final approach to Muan International Airport. The plaintiffs allege that the strike caused cascading system failures, leaving that left both engines inoperdisablingd disabled multiple safety redundancies.

Investigators say that after the left engine was shut down, the right engine produced just 55 percent of normal thrust. This, the suit explains, is well below the performance required under US regulations. Electrical power was then lost across all major systems, including flight recorders and the transponder.

The lawsuit further accuses Boeing’s legacy hydraulic design of preventing the landing gear, flaps, spoilers, and reverse thrusters from deploying, which in turn kept the aircraft from slowing down during landing. The pilots reportedly touched down halfway down the runway at around 175 mph before sliding off the end, crashing, and catching fire. These systems carried over from Boeing’s acquisition of McDonnell Douglas in 1997, meaning some had been designed in the late 1950s.

Lead attorney Charles Herrmann pointed fingers at Boeing for deflecting blame.

“Rather than admitting its fault in this tragic accident, Boeing resorts to its old, worn out 'blame the pilots' tactic. These pilots make easy targets; they perished in the flames with the passengers. They cannot defend themselves,” he said. “Bereaved Families deserve the truth.”

Boeing has not commented publicly on the lawsuit, but has previously sought to move the case to South Korea, where compensation awards are significantly lower and pretrial discovery is limited.

FMI: www.boeing.com