Boeing Reaches Settlement to Avoid Civil Trial Over 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Crash

On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport en route to Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. All 157 passengers and crew onboard perished, marking the deadliest aviation disaster in Ethiopian history. Among the victims were American citizens Antoine Lewis and Darcy Belengar. The crash came just months after a similar incident involving Lion Air Flight 610 in Indonesia in October 2018, triggering a global outcry and grounding of the entire 737 MAX fleet for nearly two years. Investigations later revealed that a key contributor to both crashes was a flawed software system known as the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The system, intended to automatically push the aircraft’s nose down under certain conditions, malfunctioned due to erroneous sensor data, overriding pilot commands and causing uncontrollable descents. The resulting fallout placed Boeing under intense regulatory and legal scrutiny, leading to congressional hearings, a temporary halt in MAX production, and a sweeping overhaul of aviation safety oversight. Between April 2019 and March 2021, families of crash victims filed multiple lawsuits against Boeing, alleging wrongful death, negligence, and fraudulent concealment of safety issues. These cases were consolidated and pursued through federal courts in Chicago, where Boeing’s corporate headquarters were located at the time. As of March 2025, 18 civil lawsuits remained unresolved. However, four of these cases—including those involving the families of Antoine Lewis and Darcy Belengar—have now been settled, according to sources close to the litigation. Boeing was set to begin its first civil jury trial related to the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Monday, April 7, 2025. The trial, to be held in Chicago, was expected to last two weeks and involve eight jurors and two plaintiffs whose family members died in the crash. However, late on Sunday night—just hours before jury selection was due to commence—settlements were reached with the plaintiffs. The legal team from Clifford Law Offices confirmed the out-of-court agreement. As is standard in such cases, the financial and legal terms remain confidential. Antonio M. Romanucci, Founding Partner of Romanucci & Blandin and lead counsel for the Lewis family, expressed hope that the settlement would bring a measure of closure and healing to the victims’ loved ones. While these settlements mark a partial resolution of Boeing’s legal liabilities, the aerospace giant still faces considerable challenges. Two additional civil trials are scheduled for July and November 2025, and 14 lawsuits remain active. Moreover, Boeing could be heading toward a criminal trial in June 2025, stemming from allegations that it misled regulators and failed to disclose critical information about the MCAS system during the aircraft’s certification process. The settlements represent another chapter in a long legal battle for justice on behalf of the crash victims. While Boeing has publicly expressed remorse and pledged to prioritize safety reforms, many families and aviation safety advocates continue to call for full accountability and systemic changes within both the company and regulatory bodies. For now, the recent agreements mark a pause in court proceedings for some, while the broader pursuit of justice continues.