New claim filed against Skyguide in Spain
Families of victims who died in a mid-air collision in Swiss-controlled airspace over Germany in 2002 have filed a civil suit against Skyguide in Spain.
The claim also demands that Bashkirian Airlines, which operated one of the two jets involved in the crash that killed 71 people, pay out damages to the families.
Skyguide, the Swiss air traffic control agency, was informed about the suit on January 27.
The claim is being made in the name of 27 families represented by American law firm Podhurt. Skyguide did not reveal how much the claimants were demanding, although it is believed to be significantly higher than earlier settlements reached with other families.
The suit was filed in Barcelona, as Spain was the final destination of the Bashkirian Airlines plane. The other aircraft, a DHL cargo jet, was travelling from Italy to Belgium.
The two planes collided in Skyguide-controlled airspace over southern Germany on July 1, 2002, near the town of Überlingen. The crash killed all those on board, including many children.
The families of 28 victims reached a settlement with Skyguide last June, while an earlier agreement with the relatives of 15 victims was signed in November 2003.
Partial responsibility
A report from Germany’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau published last year partially blamed Swiss air traffic control for the accident. But it also said that the crash was caused primarily by human error.
The report found that the air-traffic controller on duty at the time gave the planes instructions to avoid a collision only 43 seconds before impact.
It added that the crew of the Bashkirian Airlines jet obeyed the controller’s instruction to descend, but failed to listen to their on-board collision warning system, which advised them to climb.
Skyguide came in for criticism for having only one controller in charge of air-traffic surveillance at the time of the crash.
The company has since admitted responsibility for the chain of events that led to the accident.
Investigations in Switzerland and Germany are still underway.
swissinfo with agencies
On July 1, 2002, a Tupolev passenger plane collided with a cargo jet near Überlingen in southern Germany in Swiss-controlled airspace.
The Bashkirian Airlines jet was travelling from Russia to Spain, and the DHL aircraft from Italy to Belgium.
Both planes were flying on instruments and were being controlled by Skyguide in Zurich.
All 71 passengers and crew on both aircraft were killed in the crash, including 54 children.
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