January 13, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The families of the victims aboard a Sudan airways flight that crashed more than a year ago in the Sudanese capital filed a lawsuit against the France based Airbus company alleging that the plane was “defective and unreasonably dangerous”.
The 49-page filling made at in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois Cook County said that the plaintiffs representing the victims “suffered a loss of support, loss of net accumulations, loss of household and other services, loss of care, comfort, companionship, guidance and society and mental anguish, sorrow and grief”.
The attorney said in his brief obtained by Sudan Tribune that he is bringing the action under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act.
In June 2008, the Sudan Airways Airbus A310 coming from Amman via Damascus went off the runway after landing at Khartoum International Airport during a thunderstorm and burst into flames killing around 30 people.
At the time, Airbus said the A310 involved in the accident was 18 years old and had been operated by Sudan Airways since September 2007.
The Airbus A310 is a twin-engine, wide body plane used by a number of carriers around the world. Typically configured with about 220 seats, it is a shorter version of the popular A300.
The plaintiffs recount a number of technical defects in the aircraft including engines “susceptible of igniting and exploding”, “deceleration mechanisms…not capable of slowing the aircraft under all reasonably anticipated conditions”, Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) that was “inadequately inspected and tested, provided false or nuisance warnings which interfered with the safe operation of the flight”.
Other defendants named on the filing include United Technologies Corporation, Goodrich Actuation Systems, Eaton Corporation, Parker Hannifin Corporation, GE Aviation which manufactured components used in the plane.
Montrose Global Capital, MGC Leasing Inc and Bank of America were accused as failing to “use reasonable care in the entrustment, sale and disposition of this deadly instrumentality so as not to entrust and sell this deadly instrumentality o an unsuitable, unfit or irresponsible use”.
Bank of America had ownership of the plane prior to selling it to Sudan Airways through Montrose Global Capital and MGC Leasing Inc, the documents show.
The attorney asked the court for unspecified compensation and reimbursement of costs under the 39 counts he is pressing against the defendants.
Two weeks after the incident, Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority suspended Sudan Airways flights because it failed to undertake measures outlined by the authority in an annual audit making it non-compliant with international standards.
Sudan has a poor reputation for air safety, especially on domestic flights.
(ST)
حركة العدل و المساواة السودانية
موقع متخصص بنقل آخر الأخبار و البيانات و القرارات لحركة العدل و المساواة السودانية