Global General

Passengers to sue Airbus for computer malfunction

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-20 15:42

CANBERRA -- Passengers on a Qantas flight from Singapore to Perth of Australia, which twice plunged hundreds of meters, injuring more than 100 people, confirmed Monday that they will sue manufacturer Airbus over a computer malfunction that caused the mishap.

Related readings:  Cathay Pacific inks $7.82 billion deal to buy 30 Airbus planes  Airbus China increases eco-awareness  Airbus A380 'Peking' starts regular service

The Airbus A330 had to make an emergency landing in Learmonth in West Australia's northwest in 2008 after the mayday alert.

Many passengers and crew-members on board suffered trauma and physical injury.

US lawyer Floyd Wisner is representing 76 people in the compensation claim against Airbus and other companies that make the computer system that malfunctioned.

"It was a mechanical defect caused by the manufacturer," Wisner told Australian Associated Press on Monday.

Wisner said he was confident that the compensation claim would be successful.

In a separate claim, a lawsuit for about 20 people is being filed in Australia against Qantas.

Lawyer Peter Carter has been working with the US lawyers, and has already finalized some passenger claims with Qantas. Carter said Qantas had a primary liability to the passengers under federal law.