The heartbroken families of three Brits who were killed in a plane crash have accused Boeing of playing "Russian roulette" with their lives, an inquest has heard.
Joanna Toole, 36, Samuel Pegram, 25, and Oliver Vick, 45, were among the 157 passengers who tragically died onboard flight ET302 in Ethiopia on March 10, 2019.
The families sought a verdict of unlawful killing after discovering the aircraft was allowed to fly despite safety concerns over a previous crash.
They accused Boeing of "deliberately" prioritising profits over safety during the inquest which launched in West Sussex today (July 11).
All 149 passengers and eight crew members died after the plane crashed just six minutes after it took off from Addis Ababa towards Nairobi in Kenya.
Teen girl who died after being suspected of right-wing terrorism was 'victim'
The crash took place in Ethiopia in 2019 (Rowan Griffiths \\ Daily Mirror)The inquest heard that less than five months earlier, Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in the Java Sea on October 29, 2018, killing 189.
The dual incidents caused a two-year worldwide long-term grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8, and later resulted in the manufacturer being charged with conspiracy to defraud the US in January 2021.
It’s alleged that certain software characteristics of the Max (the MCAS system) were concealed from the regulator during its certification process.
The erroneous activation of the MCAS system has since been blamed for both the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March 2019.
Publication of the Air Accident Report was delayed leading to an agonising four-year wait for the families for answers. The report stated there was no fault on behalf of the pilots, no impact to the aircraft from striking birds or any other external event.
The families paid tribute to their loved ones during the inquest (VCG via Getty Images)Boeing confirmed its responsibility for the loss of the Ethiopian flight, however it was granted immunity from prosecution in return for $2.5bn (£1.9bn) in fines and compensation following an agreement with the US government.
Samuel worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council and was a "ray of positive energy", his father Mark Pegrim said.
Mr Pegrim, of Preston, Lancs, added: "How he was lost and that it should have been avoided makes it harder to bare.
"People who were responsible just carry on with their lives. The dishonesty and deceit they have shown is the complete opposite of Sam's values."
He added: "Boeing lost their way - for profit corners were cut, warnings were ignored and authorities and airlines were deceived.
Investigations continue into deaths of mum and daughter, 17, found in house
"[Sam] was a special person to so many people. He made the world a better place for those lucky enough to know him, to love him and be loved by him.
Samuel Pegram was named one of the victims from the devastating crash (Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)
Joanna Toole was a huge animal lover (Irwin Mitchell / SWNS)"Our lives changed forever on March 10 and will never be the same. A promising career was ended and he never truly realised the difference he had already made. A light has gone out of our lives."
Sam's mum Deborah added: "Boeing played Russian roulette with people's lives and they should be held responsible for the deaths."
Loved ones of Joanna Toole, of Exmouth, Devon, described her as someone who "really cared and was very passionate about conversation."
Her dad Adrian Toole said: "All her potential was cut short. I am sure evidence will convince you it was no accident. It was a disaster that happened in a faraway place - but shows another crash was inevitable. And another Max 8 could have come down in the UK."
Joanna was on her way to represent the UN at an environmental assembly in Nairobi at the time of the incident.
"She had a rare combination of empathy for both animals and people," her dad added.
"The death of a child is like losing a part of yourself and I started dying on March 10, 2019."
Oliver Vick's mother Cheryl, of Wargrave, Berkshire, said the family had always flown "without fear" for several generations.
"Boeing betrayed them, four generations of trust. And betrayed everyone on those flights," she explained.
Cheryl said her son was "stolen from us by Boeing fraud and a deep betrayal of the world's flying public."
Oliver Vick died at the age of 45 (Twitter)She continued: "He was a sure believer it was possible to make the world a better place to improve the lives of people near and afar. He had an unwavering focus on making the world a better place for as many people as possible."
Oliver had a huge passion for humanitarian work and dedicated his life to the UN.
Among those who recognised his work after his death were former Prime Minister Theresa May and former US President Jimmy Carter.
Cheryl added: "We are so proud of the man our boy became. The grief, shock and horror will always be with us. No day can ever be the same again without my beautiful boy."
The inquest continues.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
