The family of the first officer of the Lion Air Flight 610 is suing Boeing, claiming the 737 MAX he was helping to fly was “unreasonably dangerous” when it crashed into the Java Sea in late October. The pilot, who went by the single name Harvino, was among 189 people onboard when the aircraft dove into the ocean at high speed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Oct. 29. The suit, which is being handled by the Chicago firm of Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona, and was filed in Cook County. It also alleges the aircraft manuals didn’t adequately explain the stall prevention system that is the focus of the investigation into the crash. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal is reporting, citing unnamed sources, that improper maintenance may have been a factor.
The publication reported Friday that improper calibration of an airspeed sensor started the sequence of events that led to aircraft putting itself into a dive that the pilots couldn’t pull out of. The airline has rejected any claims that faulty maintenance was a factor in the crash. It is also suing Boeing as are the passengers. The suits are being filed in Chicago because that’s where Boeing maintains its head office.
