Plane Carrying 157 People Crashes, Boeing Dragged to Court

The American aviation giant Boeing is scheduled to face trial again on Monday (4 May 2026) regarding the latest lawsuit over the deadly 737 MAX plane crash in Ethiopia. The lawsuit was filed by the family of Samya Stumo, a young American NGO worker who was a victim in that tragedy.

Citing an AFP report, the case will proceed in a federal court in Chicago, with jury selection beginning on Monday and Tuesday, followed by opening statements on Wednesday. Samya Stumo died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash in March 2019 while en route to Kenya for her first assignment with ThinkWell.

This tragedy was the second fatal accident after the Lion Air crash in Indonesia four months earlier, which together claimed 346 lives. The Ethiopian Airlines crash killed 157 people, comprising 149 passengers and eight crew members.

Boeing has acknowledged that the anti-stall software was the primary cause. This triggered the company’s financial downturn for years until 2024.

Meanwhile, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has admitted that major challenges remain for the company to restore public trust following a series of fatal incidents. He reaffirmed his commitment to improving the company’s safety standards in the future.

“More work needs to be done to win back credibility,” Ortberg stated.

This trial focuses on determining the financial compensation for the victim’s family. As a reference, last November, a jury in Chicago awarded damages of US$28.45 million (Rp490.84 billion) to the family of another victim from New Delhi.

The Stumo family has been the most vocal critics to date and are demanding full transparency from Boeing. This trial is expected to be a crucial moment in settling the remaining civil claims against the Seattle-based aircraft manufacturer.