September 4, 2008 – Families Sue Boeing Over Madrid Plane Crash
The families of seven passengers killed in the August 20 plane crash that killed 154 people in Madrid are suing Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, the families’ legal representatives announced on Thursday.
McDonnell Douglas, a subsidiary of Boeing, manufactured the Spanair MD-82 jetliner that crashed just off the runway during take-off.
The suit, which was filed in Illinois, claimed that electrical and handbook errors were a factor in 15 MD-80 crashes, said families’ attorneys.
Three of the MD-80 planes have crashed in the past 11 months, in Phuket, Thailand, Isparta, Turkey, and Madrid.
Boeing has been asked to produce documentation about the manufacture, maintenance, purchases, and leasing of the Madrid plane.
A Spanish crash investigation expert said that although human error may have contributed to the accident, it cannot have been the only cause.
