Boeing’s “greed” that prioritised profits over safety “stole” the lives of three British nationals died in a jet disaster, an inquest has found.
On March 10, 2019, six minutes after taking off from Addis Abeba in Ethiopia, flight ET302 crashed, killing all 149 on board as well as eight crew members.
In Horsham, West Sussex, an inquest into the deaths of three British passengers — Joanna Toole, 36; Samuel Pegram, 25; and Oliver Vick, 45 — got under way earlier today.
Their families have called upon the coroner to record a verdict of unlawful killing, saying Boeing played ‘Russian roulette’ with people’s lives.
The ET302 crash happened less than five months after another Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed into the Java Sea in October 2018, killing 189 people.
The two crashes caused a two-year worldwide grounding of the Max 8. The manufacturer was charged with conspiracy to defraud the US in January 2021.
It’s alleged some software was concealed from regulators during the certification process, and that software has since been blamed for both the Ethiopia and Java Sea crashes.
A delay in the publication of the Air Accident Investigations Branch’s (AAIB) report into the crash meant the families have waited more than four years for answers.
The report found there was no fault on behalf of the pilots, no impact to the aircraft from striking birds or any other external event.
Speaking at the inquest, Samuel’s father Mark Pegrim said: ‘How he was lost and that it should have been avoided makes it harder to bear.
‘People who were responsible just carry on with their lives.
‘The dishonesty and deceit they have shown is the complete opposite of Sam’s values.’
Mr Pegrim said they wanted to bring justice for all of the families on board the flight.
‘It was designed with fatal flaws,’ he added. ‘Boeing then continued to fly after the first crash.
‘This should not have happened – too many lives have been lost.
‘I urge you to reach a verdict of unlawful killing. They were not just negligent but broke the law.
‘Boeing lost their way – for profit, corners were cut, warnings were ignored and authorities and airlines were deceived.’
Samuel’s mum Deborah added: ‘Boeing played Russian roulette with people’s lives and they should be held responsible for the deaths.’
Loved ones of Joanna Toole, of Exmouth, Devon, described her as someone who loved animals and ‘really cared and was very passionate about conservation’.
Her dad Adrian Toole said: ‘All her potential was cut short. I am sure evidence will convince you it was no accident.
‘It was a disaster that happened in a faraway place – but shows another crash was inevitable. And another Max 8 could have come down in the UK.’
Joanna was employed to represent the UN and her family said her life’s ambition was to improve the lives of animals.
Mr Toole added: ‘She had a rare combination of empathy for both animals and people.
‘The death of a child is like losing a part of yourself and I started dying on March 10, 2019.
‘The 149 passengers killed were not a typical cross section of travellers.
’22 of the dead were associated with the UN and nine were working in other humanitarian areas.
‘It was a disaster that went beyond personal tragedy and set back all the good work those people were engaged in.’
Oliver Vick’s mother Cheryl, of Wargrave, Berkshire, said the family had flown ‘without fear’ for several generations and always subscribed to the statistics that flying was the safest form of travel.
She added: ‘Boeing betrayed them, four generations of trust. And betrayed everyone on those flights.’
She accused those responsible of ‘deliberately’ putting profit above safety and for causing what she described as a ‘devastating and avoidable crash’.
She said her son was ‘stolen from us by Boeing fraud and a deep betrayal of the world’s flying public’.
Paying tribute, she described Oliver as a devoted father and said his death had left their world ‘a sadder, emptier place’.
She added: ‘He was a sure believer it was possible to make the world a better place to improve the lives of people near and afar.
‘He had an unwavering focus on making the world a better place for as many people as possible.
‘We are so proud of the man our boy became. The grief, shock and horror will always be with us.
‘No day can ever be the same again without my beautiful boy.’
The inquest continues.