Hundreds of pilots have reportedly joined a class action lawsuit against Boeing, seeking millions of dollars in damages over what they allege is an “unprecedented cover-up”.
In a report published by ABC News Sunday, more than 400 pilots have joined a class action lawsuit against Boeing, which is the first put forward by qualified 737 MAX pilots, alleging that Boeing’s “decisions” have caused them to suffer “monetary loss” and “mental distress” since the grounding of the jet.
The originating plaintiff, known to ABC News as Pilot X – who has chosen to remain anonymous for “fear of reprisal from Boeing and discrimination from Boeing customers” – lodged the statement of claim on Friday, which seeks damages for him/her and more than 400 colleagues.
It has been reported that they all work for the same airline.
In court documents seen by ABC News, the claim alleges that Boeing “engaged in an unprecedented cover-up of the known design flaws of the MAX, which predictably resulted in the crashes of two MAX aircraft and subsequent grounding of all MAX aircraft worldwide.”
The complainants argue they “suffer and continue to suffer significant lost wages, among other economic and non-economic damages” since the fleet’s global grounding.
The class action will reportedly be heard in a Chicago court, with a hearing date set for 21 October 2019.
It has been reported that the claim hinges on the prior problems associated with MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System), which Pilot X says gave the aircraft “inherently dangerous aerodynamic handling defects”, as reported by ABC News.
Boeing recently announced its update for the system’s software, which is currently undergoing an approval process by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA).
