Jeju Air Crash Families Sue Boeing for Deadly Defects in outdated 1960s-Era Landing Systems

Lawsuit alleges catastrophic failures of electrical and hydraulic systems originally designed in 1958 prevented pilots from landing the airplane safely.

SEATTLE, Oct. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Herrmann Law Group (www.hlg.lawyer), an international aviation law firm based in Seattle, has sued Boeing Co. on behalf of 14 families who lost loved ones in the crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216 at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29, 2024. The complaint, filed in King County Superior Court under Cause No. 25-2-30195-8 SEA, alleges that antiquated electrical and hydraulic systems deprived pilots of the means to land safely.

"Rather than admitting its fault in this tragic accident, Boeing resorts to its old, worn out 'blame the pilots' tactic. These pilots make easy targets; they perished in the flames with the passengers. They cannot defend themselves" said Charles Herrmann, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. "Bereaved Families deserve the truth. Met with evasion in Korea, these plaintiffs seek justice in U.S. courts where we can legally compel them to reveal the truth"

The lawsuit traces the decline in Boeing's safety-first culture to its 1997 acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, when former MD chief Harry Stonecipher became Boeing's president and chief operating officer. According to the complaint, Stonecipher declared that Boeing would be "run like a business rather than a great engineering firm," marking a shift away from the company's engineering roots.

Four years later, Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago after 85 years in Washington state. Herrmann contends that the move symbolized management's alienation from the engineers who built the company's reputation. Safety-first became profit-first.

The complaint alleges Boeing failed to modernize its core electrical and hydraulic architectures dating back to the first 737 in 1968. Between that year and 2009, when the crash aircraft entered service, the company made no fundamental upgrades to more reliable modern technology in backup safety systems.

According to the complaint, Flight 2216 suffered a bird strike on approach. DNA tests confirmed the birds were Baikal teals weighing about one pound each. Herrmann further explained: "The bird strike triggered a cascade of system failures. Under U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 14 C.F.R. §33.76(c), the aircraft's engines were required to withstand ingestion of as many as four one-pound birds without thrust falling below 75 percent. Yet the bird strike triggered a cascade of system failures".

The complaint states that the pilots shut down the left engine; then immediately activated its fire extinguisher. The crippled right engine dropped to 55 percent thrust — barely enough to remain airborne during a go-around. Generators stopped producing AC power. Batteries failed to provide backup. Electrical bus crossties did not function. The Flight Data Recorder, Cockpit Voice Recorder and transponder all went offline simultaneously.

The complaint also alleges that nearly all systems designed to slow the aircraft, both before and after landing, failed. Paramount among these failures was the landing gear, which failed to extend. Not only does it add aerodynamic drag while airborne, the wheel brakes are essential to stop the aircraft. The reverse thrusters, which redirect engine thrust forward, are also critical for braking and likewise failed to function properly. Finally, flaps, slats, and spoilers did not deploy.

Herrmann concluded: "Although these seasoned pilots managed to fly the aircraft back to the runway, the failure of all these systems combined to deny them the means to land safely. They landed 1,200 meters down the 2,600-meter runway at 175 mph — too far and too fast. Sliding on its belly, the aircraft overran the end of the runway to strike a concrete-reinforced berm built to support Instrument Landing System antennas. Upon impact, the aircraft exploded in a fireball, causing 179 people to perish in the flames."

Founded in 1950 by former State Senator and Insurance Commissioner Karl Herrmann and led today by Charles Herrmann and Lara Herrmann, the firm earned international recognition for Charles Herrmann's work in exposing the truth behind the 1983 shootdown of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 by a Soviet MiG over Sakhalin Island — portrayed in the HBO/BBC movie Code Name:Hostile. Herrmann Law Group has successfully represented victims in numerous air disasters including Korean Air 801 (1997, Guam) and Air China 129 (2002, Gimhae). Then, five times against Boeing in: China Airlines 611 (2002, Taiwan); Asiana 214 (2013, San Francisco); the two infamous MAX cases Lion Air 610 (2018, Indonesia) and Ethiopian 302 (2019, Ethiopia); and most recently, Sriwijaya 182 (2021, Indonesia).

A full copy of the filed complaint is available on Herrmann Law Group's website.

Media Contact

Lara Herrmann
HERRMANN LAW GROUP
505 5th Ave S, Ste 330
Seattle, WA 98104
Mobile: 1.253.380.5272
Email: [email protected] Website: www.hlg.lawyer

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SOURCE HERRMANN LAW GROUP