Air France and Airbus found guilty of 'corporate manslaughter' in deadly 2009 flight

Air France and Airbus found guilty of 'corporate manslaughter' in deadly 2009 flight Air France and Airbus were charged with corporate manslaughter for the 'corporate manslaughter' of 228 people on a packed passenger jet after the two junior pilots fell asleep. Air France pilot error and technical issues with the Airbus contributed to the disaster. Air France and Airbus were found guilty of corporate manslaughter after two of three pilots fell asleep during a flight to Paris from Rio de Janeiro in 2009. Five Britons and three Irish doctors were among those killed in the disaster. An enquiry concluded that failure to react correctly to stalling of the plane was caused by pilot error and technical problems with the Airbus. Despite initial dismissal and clearings by courts, the companies were found guilty on appeal and must now pay a maximum fine of £195,000 each. More appeals are possible because of reputational damage