The widow of Michael Ryan, an Irish engineer employed by the United Nations World Food Programme, has received a $29 million damages award from a jury in Chicago following a civil lawsuit against Boeing. Ryan was among 157 passengers and crew members who perished when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on 10 March in 2019, approximately 30 miles southeast of Addis Ababa near the town of Bishoftu.
The legal action was brought by Ryan’s widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan, with representation from attorney Steven C Marks. Legal representatives characterized the verdict as significant accountability for the aircraft manufacturer, though they emphasized that monetary compensation cannot fully address the loss experienced by the family. Marks noted that Connolly Ryan pursued the case “with extraordinary strength and determination” and stressed that the broader effort to hold Boeing responsible remains important for preventing future tragedies.
Boeing acknowledged the verdict through a company statement expressing deep sympathy for families who lost loved ones in both the Ethiopian Airlines crash and a separate Lion Air incident. The manufacturer noted that most claims related to the crashes have been resolved through settlements, while recognizing families’ rights to pursue court proceedings. Prior to his death, Ryan had worked with the World Food Programme on humanitarian projects across multiple countries, including Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.
According to Ethiopian authorities’ investigation, Flight ET302’s takeoff proceeded normally, but sensors measuring the aircraft’s angle subsequently recorded conflicting readings. This triggered an automated safety system that repeatedly pitched the nose downward—a malfunction also identified in the Lion Air crash. Despite pilots attempting to manually disengage the system and steady the aircraft, the automated system continued forcing the nose down until impact occurred.
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