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June 14, 2009 file photo: workers unload debris, belonging to crashed Air France flight AF447, from the Brazilian Navy's Constitution Frigate in the port of Recife, northeast of Brazil. AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File via PA Images

Preliminary charges filed against Airbus over 2009 crash

Decision comes as search resumes at site where plane crashed in June 2009, killing 228 people, including three Irish women.

AIRBUS MAY BE charged with manslaughter over the crash of an Air France plane in which three young Irish doctors died.

The company made the Air France plane which crashed while flying from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on 1 June 2009, killing 228 poeple including Dr Aisling Butler, from Co Tipperary; Dr Eithne Walls, from Belfast; and Dr Jane Deasy, from Dublin.

The company was placed under formal investigations by Judge Sylvie Zimmerman over accusations of involuntary manslaughter related to the crash, the New York Times reports.  Under French law, this is not a criminal charge but can lead to a trial.

A new search for wreckage of the Airbus A330-200 off the coast of Brazil is to begin in the coming days in an effort to find the plane’s flight recorders.

Airbus and Air France have spent more than $27million (approx €19million) searching 2,800 square miles of seabed which has resulted in finding 600 pieces of debris and 51 bodies. They have pledged another $12.5 million (approx €9million) towards the search.

The recorders would give an insight into what caused the plane to go down in heavy thunderstorms.

The chief executive of Airbus, Tom Enders, said in a statement:

Airbus maintains that the focus should be on finding the cause of this accident and making sure it can never happen again

France is one of a small number of countries where prosecutions routinely take place following air crashes.

For more information read this story in today’s New York Times>

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    Mute Derek
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    Jan 16th 2013, 12:51 PM

    Glad this filth is off the street and the police haven’t forgotten to go after real threats and dangerous criminals instead of shutting down all the plant nurseries they have been busy doing all year

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    Mute Adrian Egan
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    Jan 16th 2013, 1:16 PM

    Those nurseries as you call them are still illegal. Guardrail enforce the law they don’t make them

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    Mute Lieutenant Worf
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    Jan 16th 2013, 2:37 PM

    Plant nurseries? Are you for real?

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    Mute FionaFawn
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    Jan 16th 2013, 3:38 PM

    Gardai* there are no police in Tallaght

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    Mute Dublin History
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    Jan 16th 2013, 4:09 PM

    The Gardaí is the name of the police force. If they are not police, what are they?

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    Mute Patrick Lyons
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    Jan 16th 2013, 1:47 PM

    Excellent work. Keep up the pressure on all those who deal in illegal drugs.

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    Mute Bonnie Power
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    Jan 16th 2013, 3:18 PM

    Leagalise everything that’s illegal and tax it and the world will be right again??? Pilib you are deluded!!

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    Mute Stephen Maher
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    Jan 16th 2013, 1:00 PM

    Cue the recriminations and gunfire.

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    Mute Stephen Church
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    Jan 16th 2013, 2:43 PM

    In next weeks news , 2 post offices robbed, a tiger kidnapping on a bank and and atm pulled out of a wall with a jcb .

    The war on drugs just causes more violent crime.

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    Mute Zachary W. Hennessy
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    Jan 16th 2013, 2:59 PM

    So what just let them continue their illegal trade? Sure why prosecute criminals at all so?

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    Mute Pilib O Muiregan
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    Jan 16th 2013, 3:07 PM

    Yes all because whatever gang he belonged to will have to raise funds to cover this bust. Not to mention the people who will more than likely be shot for providing information to the Gaurds. Best of legalize it all. Tax it and educate. It had worked in Portugal.

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    Mute Mike Brennan
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    Jan 16th 2013, 3:28 PM

    Legalise heroin? Yeah sure. What could possibly go wrong? Daft comment.

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    Mute Mick B
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    Jan 16th 2013, 4:13 PM

    @Pilib
    They didn’t legalize it in Portugal. They decriminalised it, but it is still illegal to sell. Decriminalising means that you can have personal usage amounts on you, but the selling of it is illegal. I think that is a good idea as it allows people with serious addiction problems to get help without being labelled a criminal.
    These steps in Portugal have proved very successful and it is something that should be considered here, in my humble opinion.
    I doubt €100k worth of it was for personal use!

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