Over 20 families sue Boeing over South Korea’s deadliest air crash

SEATTLE — Seven lawsuits over a deadly plane crash have been consolidated in federal court in western Washington, making the deadliest aviation disaster on South Korean soil also the deadliest Boeing-related litigation currently pending in the United States.

The cases represent 23 people killed when Jeju Air Flight 7C 2216 crashed on Dec. 29, 2024, killing 179 people aboard near Muan, South Korea. Only two people survived the crash. 

All of the cases allege the Boeing 737-800 experienced a bird strike during final approach, which triggered a cascade of electrical and hydraulic system failures. The pilots lost control of the landing gear, brakes, flaps, and other critical equipment.

KING 5 has requested comment and is awaiting Boeing’s response.

According to court documents, the plane landed at 175 mph and skidded off the runway, hitting a concrete embankment. The crash lasted about four minutes from bird strike to impact.

All of the lawsuits state Boeing kept outdated safety systems in its 737-800 that dated back to 1968 — 41 years before the aircraft was built. They say Boeing made this choice deliberately to avoid expensive redesigns and recertification requirements, even though modern, safer systems were available at the time.

However, the cases use different legal strategies to pursue damages. Some focus on negligence and product liability. Others include “survival” claims that specifically address the victims’ fear, terror and suffering during those final four minutes before impact.

The largest of the seven cases is being handled by the Herrmann Law Group, an aviation law firm based in Seattle. That case represents 14 families and was originally filed in King County Superior Court before being transferred to federal court.

“Rather than admitting its fault, Boeing resorts to its old, worn out ‘blame the pilots’ tactic,” attorney Charles Herrmann said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. “These pilots perished in the flames with the passengers. They cannot defend themselves.”

Herrmann Law Group claims the problem traces back to 1997, when Boeing acquired McDonnell Douglas. New management, led by Harry Stonecipher, shifted the company’s focus from “safety first” to “profits first,” the attorney group says. 

Six other cases were filed separately in Illinois and Virginia on behalf of additional families. Those cases have also been transferred to federal court in western Washington. They allege similar facts but use different legal frameworks.

The plane was manufactured at Boeing’s Renton plant in King County in 2009. It initially served Ryanair before being sold and leased to Jeju Air.

The lawsuits seek damages for lost wages, companionship, funeral expenses and suffering.

The Jeju Air case arrives as Boeing faces mounting federal scrutiny. The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed $3.1 million in fines after finding hundreds of quality-control violations at Boeing’s Renton factory and at a supplier plant, citing problems linked to the January 2024 Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 door-plug blowout.

The company posted an $11.8 billion loss in 2024, part of more than $35 billion in losses since 2019. In May 2025, the Justice Department reached a non-prosecution agreement with Boeing over allegations that the company misled regulators before the 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes, which collectively killed 346 people.

Boeing offered condolences after the December 2024 crash and said it remains in contact with Jeju Air. The company has not publicly commented on the lawsuits.