The widow of Michael Ryan, a former United Nations World Food Programme engineer, has been awarded $29 million (£21.5 million) in a civil lawsuit against Boeing following the 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.
The verdict was handed down by a Chicago jury after Ryan’s widow, Naoise Connolly Ryan, filed a suit against the aircraft manufacturer for negligence in the aircraft’s automated flight‑control system. Boeing has expressed deep regret to the families involved and has said it will continue to allow claims through the court system.
Ryan, who was born in County Clare and lived in Cork, was an engineer who worked for the World Food Programme, helping to bring aid to vulnerable populations across Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ethiopia and Bangladesh. He also built medical centres in Liberia during the 2014–16 Ebola outbreak.
The crash itself occurred 30 miles southeast of Addis Ababa as Flight 302 lifted and was quickly overwhelmed by a flawed automated system that repeatedly pitched the aircraft’s nose downward. The outcome was catastrophic, with all 157 passengers and crew on board perishing.
Legal representatives celebrated the ruling as a key step toward accountability. Steven C. Marks, who represented Ryan’s widow, said the verdict reflects a “significant milestone” and stresses the importance of preventing similar tragedies to safeguard aviation safety worldwide.
