More than 13 years after an Air France plane carrying 228 people plunged into the sea as it flew from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, the airline and planemaker Airbus go on trial Monday for involuntary manslaughter.
All on board died when the storm-tossed plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in the early hours of June 1, 2009 after stalling. It took two years to recover the bodies and cockpit recorders, located at a depth of about 4,000 metres.
It was eventually determined by investigators that the crew had become overwhelmed after the Airbus A330's Pitot speed-monitoring tubes iced up and no longer provided clear readings. The crash was the deadliest in Air France's history.
The nine-week trial at the Paris Palace of Justice opens at 1:30 pm (1130 GMT). The companies face fines of up to €225,000 ($219,000). Both have denied criminal negligence.
The trial itself is a small win for victims' families after the case was initially dropped by investigating magistrates. Air France has already paid the families compensation.
