Accidents

Boeing Settles With Canadian Man Over 2019 Ethiopian Crash

JUL 12 2025·Updated JUL 13 2025

Story

Above: Families and friends who lost loved ones in the March 10, 2019, Boeing 737 Max crash in Ethiopia hold a memorial on March 10, 2023. Image credit: OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Boeing reached a settlement Friday with Paul Njoroge, a Canadian man whose wife and three children were killed in the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, averting the first trial connected to the event that led to a worldwide grounding of Boeing 737 Max jets. Details of the settlement were not publicized.
Independent
Fox8
Reuters
The jury trial at Chicago's federal court had been scheduled to start Monday to determine damages for Njoroge, whose family was heading to Kenya aboard the flight when it malfunctioned and plummeted to the ground, killing all 157 people on board.
France 24
NDTV
Njoroge lost his wife Carolyne, children Ryan age 6, Kellie age 4, and nine-month-old Rubi, along with his mother-in-law, in the crash that occurred six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
The Straits Times
ABC News
South China Morning Post
The 41-year-old man says he has been unable to return to his family home in Toronto because the memories are too painful, has not been able to find a job, and has weathered criticism from relatives for not traveling alongside his family.
The Economic Times
Independent
New York Post
Investigators determined the Ethiopia and Indonesia crashes were caused by a system that relied on a sensor that provided faulty readings and pushed the plane noses down, leaving pilots unable to regain control of the aircraft.
France 24
NDTV
Boeing has settled more than 90% of civil cases relating to the 2018 Lion Air and 2019 Ethiopian Airlines disasters, paying out billions of dollars through lawsuits, regulatory settlements, and a deferred prosecution agreement.
The Straits Times
Arise News
EconoTimes

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Boeing's settlement with Paul Njoroge cannot mask the company's unconscionable transformation from engineering excellence to corporate greed. By prioritizing profit over human lives, Boeing betrayed its own legacy — replacing safety-first engineers with cost-cutting executives who turned deadly design flaws into acceptable risks, leaving families shattered and hundreds of souls lost.

The New York Times

David Perell

Narrative B

While Boeing's settlement with grieving families cannot undo the tragedy, CEO Kelly Ortberg's leadership signals genuine change. By moving headquarters closer to engineers, implementing rigorous quality controls, and fostering a safety-first culture over shareholder profits, Boeing is slowly earning back airline confidence — proving that meaningful accountability can begin rebuilding shattered trust.

Simple Flying

Reuters