Family Of UN Worker Killed In Plane Crash To Receive $29 Million From Boeing

A Chicago jury has awarded $29 million in damages to the family of an Irish-born United Nations employee who was killed in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX crash, a US court spokesman said on Wednesday. The civil lawsuit was brought against Boeing by Naoise Connolly Ryan, the widow of Michael “Mick” Ryan, a 39-year-old engineer who worked with the UN World Food Programme. Ryan was among the 157 people killed when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa in March 2019. There were no survivors. Ryan had worked in several countries and humanitarian settings during his career with the United Nations.

His assignments included work during the Ebola crisis in Liberia and with Rohingya refugees. A UN memorial page also recognised his contributions in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Ethiopia, highlighting his work supporting humanitarian operations in areas affected by conflict, disease and displacement. The $29 million award follows a civil case in which Ryan's family sought damages from Boeing over his death. The verdict adds to the legal consequences facing the US aircraft manufacturer following two fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX aircraft. The Ethiopian Airlines disaster came less than five months after another 737 MAX crash involving Lion Air in Indonesia, in which 189 people were killed. The two crashes, which occurred in 2018 and 2019, claimed a combined 346 lives and led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX fleet.

Investigations into both accidents focused heavily on the aircraft's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, a flight-control system designed to help address handling characteristics associated with the aircraft's larger engines. The crashes prompted extensive scrutiny of Boeing's aircraft development and certification processes. The Chicago case is among the final remaining civil lawsuits against Boeing arising from the two deadly MAX crashes. Families of victims have pursued compensation through individual lawsuits and settlements, seeking damages for the loss of relatives in the disasters. The cases have kept the human consequences of the crashes in focus years after the aircraft returned to commercial service. Ryan's work with the World Food Programme meant that his death also affected the international humanitarian community.

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His assignments in countries including Liberia, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal placed him in a range of challenging environments as he worked on humanitarian programmes. The UN memorial recognising his service described a career dedicated to assisting communities affected by major humanitarian crises. The jury's award represents damages determined through the civil litigation process and is separate from any criminal or regulatory proceedings involving Boeing. Civil cases can consider financial losses and other damages suffered by surviving family members following a death. The amount awarded in this case reflects the jury's assessment based on the evidence presented during the proceedings.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash occurred on March 10, 2019, shortly after the Boeing 737 MAX took off from Addis Ababa for Nairobi. The aircraft crashed near the town of Bishoftu, killing everyone aboard. The disaster, following the Lion Air crash in October 2018, led to intense international scrutiny of the MAX and ultimately contributed to the aircraft's grounding worldwide. For Ryan's family, the latest verdict brings a legal milestone in a case stemming from a tragedy that occurred more than seven years ago. For Boeing, the award represents another civil liability arising from the MAX crashes, which prompted sweeping changes to the aircraft, aviation regulation and the company's safety practices.

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