A Paris court convicted Air France and Airbus of manslaughter for the 2009 crash of flight AF447 that killed all 228 people aboard. The aircraft stalled during a storm over the Atlantic Ocean and fell 38,000 feet into the water, marking the deadliest incident in French aviation history.

Investigators determined that ice crystals in the plane's speed sensors caused faulty readings, while the co-pilots lacked proper training to handle the stall. The captain was on break when confusion arose, and the crew mistakenly pulled the nose up instead of down. Both companies denied wrongdoing and plan to appeal the verdict.

The court ordered each company to pay the maximum fine of €225,000, though victims' families called the penalty inadequate. The crash prompted industry-wide changes including improved pilot training protocols and redesigned pitot tubes to prevent ice blockage. Flight recorders were recovered after extensive deep-sea searches covering 10,000 square kilometers.

Daniele Lamy, whose son died in the crash, praised the ruling as recognition of families' suffering. The case highlights how technical failures combined with human factors in aviation safety, leading to lasting improvements in aircraft design and crew resource management training.