A legal firm has filed a request with the FAA in a first step toward US lawsuits in the Jeju Air flight 2216 crash.
Ribbeck Law Chartered, a leading global aviation law firm, made the move toward seeking justice for victims of the Jeju Air Flight 2216 crash.
The tragic accident occurred in Muan, South Korea, on 29 December 2024. The crash, involving a landing Boeing 737-800, resulted in the loss of 179 lives out of the 181 people on board. This included all 175 passengers and four of the six crew members.
The two surviving crew members, both flight attendants seated in the rear of the plane, were rescued with injuries.
This accident is the deadliest aviation disaster on South Korean soil, surpassing the 2002 Air China Flight 129 crash, which killed 129 people.
Opening Moves in US Lawsuits
To uncover potential causes, the law firm filed a request for information with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This move marks the start of a series of legal actions in U.S. courts on behalf of the victims and their families.
The firm’s request seeks detailed FAA records about the certification of the CFM56-7B engines. These documents include type certification records, test results, performance data, airworthiness directives, and compliance documents from CFM International and Boeing.
Ribbeck Law also requested internal and external FAA correspondence about the engines’ certification and ongoing airworthiness. The goal is to determine if the engines met strict federal safety and performance standards.
Dr. Monica R. Kelly, Aviation Attorney and Head of Global Litigation at Ribbeck Law, emphasized the importance of this information. “Before an aircraft engine is approved for commercial use, it must pass rigorous tests,” she said.
“If the certification process was flawed or issues were ignored, the results could be catastrophic, as we may have seen in this crash.” The firm aims to investigate potential design flaws, manufacturing defects, or regulatory oversights that could have contributed to the accident.
CFM56-7B Engines in Focus
The CFM56-7B engines power many Boeing 737 aircraft, so the investigation’s findings will play a vital role in ensuring aviation safety.
Ribbeck Law will actively investigate whether the engines underwent proper testing, certification, and monitoring. The firm’s work could reveal systemic issues in the certification process. This potentially impacting not only this case but the broader aviation industry.
“This is the first step in a multimillion-dollar litigation effort,” said Dr. Manuel von Ribbeck, the firm’s Founding Partner. “We will hold all responsible parties accountable, including manufacturers, suppliers, and certifying authorities.”
Conclusion
Ribbeck Law boasts a strong track record in aviation ligation. The firm has represented families in nearly every major aviation disaster over the past two decades.
Notably, the firm led lawsuits against Boeing after the two serious 737 MAX 8 crashes. These involved Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019.
Those earlier cases exposed serious technical failures and raised concerns about the FAA’s oversight. The 737 MAX 8 litigation suggested that Boeing had significant influence over its own certification process, with limited regulatory scrutiny.
“Our experience with the MAX 8 cases showed us that certification processes may have weaknesses,” Dr. Kelly noted. “We are determined to find out if similar issues occurred with the CFM56-7B engines in the Jeju Air crash.”
As the litigation unfolds, the findings could have far-reaching implications for aviation safety and regulatory practices worldwide.
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