BOEING HAS REACHED a settlement with the families of the 157 people killed when a 737-Max aircraft crashed in Ethiopia in March 2019.

The plane manufacturer has accepted responsibility for Ethiopian Airways flight 302 losing control shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

The plane crashed into a nearby town. There were no survivors.

At the time, it was the second crash to involve a Boeing 737-Max aircraft in six months.

After the Ethiopian crash, US authorities grounded the 737-Max until Boeing could fix the plane’s faulty software.

In its settlement, Boeing admitted that its software was to blame for ET 302’s loss of control and destruction, and that the 737-Max was in an “unsafe condition” to fly

Boeing’s 737-Max airplanes were re-certified to start flying again earlier this year.

39 year old Mick Ryan was killed when the Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after take off. WFP / Facebook WFP / Facebook / Facebook

 Irish victim

Micheál “Mick” Ryan, a married father of two from Lahinch, was on board the plane when it crashed, and lost his life.

The 39-year-old was the Deputy Chief Engineer at the United Nations’ World Food Programme and was based at its Rome headquarters.

He had been living in Cork and was shortly to celebrate his 40th birthday.

His mother Christine Ryan and brother Tiernan, flew to Ethiopia in October 2019, to bring Micheál’s remains back to Ireland following the crash.

Settlement details

The settlement does not involve monetary compensation to the families, according to court records, but it does allow victims’ families to pursue individual claims in US courts instead of their home country, which might be more difficult.

“This is a significant milestone for the families in their pursuit of justice against Boeing, as it will ensure they are all treated equitably and eligible to recover full damages under Illinois law while creating a pathway for them to proceed to a final resolution, whether through settlements or trial,” said Robert Clifford, Steven Marks and Justin Green, lawyers representing the victims.

Additional reporting from Tom Douglas.