Airbus to pay million-dollar reparations for Brazilian plane crash victims

RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- Plane manufacturer Airbus was sentenced to pay 30 million reals (9.15 million U.S. dollars) in reparations for 33 victims of a crash involving one of the company's aircraft, local media said on Monday.

The deal has been confirmed by a Brazilian court. It is the first time Airbus was ruled partially responsible for the crash of TAM Flight 3054 in a case of financial reparations.

An Airbus A320 plane crashed into a warehouse during landing near the Congonhas airport, in Sao Paulo, in 2007. None aboard the plane survived, and death count reached 199 including those killed on the ground.

The crash remains the deadliest plane accident that has ever occurred in Brazil.

Ten years later, no one was found guilty for the crash. Three people were formally accused, but they were all acquitted.

Investigations showed that one of the plane's thrust levers was in accelerate position instead of being in idle, the normal condition during landing. However, it was not possible to determine whether it was due to human or mechanical failure.

According to airliner TAM, which operated the flight, the families of 197 out of the 199 victims received monetary reparations from the company. Enditem