South Korean Jeju Air crash victim families sue Boeing

​​​​​​​By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Families of the victims of a Jeju Air crash are pursuing compensation from Boeing in a US court, claiming that manufacturing defects led to the accident last December, which resulted in 179 deaths, the Korea Herald reported Thursday.

The US-based Herman Lawgroup, which represents 14 of the families, filed the lawsuit in the Superior Court of King County in Seattle. The Wisner Law Firm, which also represents the families of victims, took similar legal action against Boeing in an Illinois state court.

The suit alleges that outdated electrical and hydraulic systems interfered with the plane's landing. Charles Herrmann, lead attorney in the Seattle case, was quoted by the New York Times as saying Boeing "resorts to its old, worn-out 'blame the pilots' tactic," instead of acknowledging responsibility.

On Dec. 29, 179 out of 181 passengers onboard a Jeju Air jet from Bangkok were killed when flames erupted after crashing into the localizer's concrete mound as it overshot the runway when it made an emergency belly landing at the Muan International Airport, 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. Two people survived the accident.

An investigation is ongoing, but a preliminary report released by the government in July pointed to pilot error.

After a bird strike severely damaged the right engine, the pilot reportedly shut down the still-operational left engine.

The lawsuit traces Boeing’s alleged decline in safety standards in recent years, accusing the company of neglecting to update its core electrical and hydraulic systems.