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7 October 2008
MADRID — A US judge ordered aircraft maker Boeing to release all technical information on the MD-82 jetliner that crashed in Madrid on 20 August, killing 154 people, Spanish press reports said Tuesday.
A US law firm filed a complaint against Boeing and its subsidiary McDonnell Douglas in the name of 18 families that lost members in the accident.
The legal action started Monday in the US state of Illinois, where Boeing is headquartered.
The firm Ribbeck Law wanted technical information on the plane to decide how to continue the legal process, lawyers representing the firm said.
The lawyers want to know which company made the wing flaps that were not used on take-off and possibly led to the accident, according to a report by an investigating commission that was leaked to the Spanish press.
The flaps help to lift aircraft on take-off.
If the flaps were not made by Boeing or its companies, the court case could be extended to the company that manufactured them, lawyers said.
Judge Ronald Davis gave Boeing six weeks to provide the requested information.
The MD-82 crashed after take-off at Madrid airport. Eighteen people survived the accident.
[Dpa / Expatica]