SilkAir Controversy
On December 19, 1997, SilkAir Flight 185 crashed in Indonesia, killing 104 people. While the Indonesian National Transportation Safety Committee, the lead investigating agency, could not determine the cause, the U.S. NTSB, which also participated in the investigation, concluded in a report issued in 2000 that there was no mechanical failure, and that accident was caused by a pilot, most likely the captain, intentionally crashing the aircraft by applying sustained nose-down control pressure.
In 2004, a Los Angeles jury, which was not allowed to hear or consider the NTSB's conclusions about the accident, ruled that the 737's rudder was the cause of the crash, and ordered Parker Hannifin, a rudder component manufacturer, to pay US$43 million to the plaintiff families. Parker Hannifin subsequently appealed the verdict, which resulted in an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed amount.
Read more about this topic: Boeing 737 Rudder Issues
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