Passengers on an Emirates flight that crash landed in Dubai last year are suing the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing.
A law suit filed in the United States on behalf of 15 people alleges the crash was caused by an issue with the aircraft's design.
An Emirati firefighter died when a fuel tank exploded, and 30 people were injured, including four seriously. when the Boeing 777 from Kerala hit the runway during an aborted landing.
The lawsuit was filed in Chicago, where Boeing has its corporate headquarters. It alleges that a switch used by pilots to assist in what is known as a “go around” was defective in design, deactivating at a crucial moment, depriving the aircraft’s engines of sufficient power to get back into the air.
An interim report early this month by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority found that after testing: "Analysis of the data downloaded indicates that there were no aircraft systems or engine abnormalities up to the time of the accident."
Flight EK521 was carrying 282 passengers and 18 crew from Thiruvananthapuram Airport when it crashed landed last August.
Two aircraft had already missed their approach because of gusts of winds, an earlier GCAA report says.
The right landing gear of the Emirates 777-300 touched the runway first, followed by the left wheels three seconds later. The report says the nose landing gear remained in the air, with the wind direction changing.
The pilots then attempted to abort the landing, retracting the landing gear, but had only reached a height of 26 metres before the aircraft began to sink back down onto the runway.
As the passenger jet slid down the runway, the right engine broke free with the aircraft coming to a rest with what the interim report calls: “substantial structural damage.”
All the passengers and crew were successfully evacuated, but nine minutes after the crash, the centre fuel tank exploded, killing Jassim Al Baloushi, a 27-year-old firefighter from Ras Al Khaimah.
The aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire, the first total loss in the airline’s history. According to the GCAA, 21 passengers, one flight crewmember, and four cabin crewmembers sustained minor injuries while four cabin crewmembers sustained serious injuries, including smoke inhalation. Eight firefighters also required medical treatment for minor injuries.
The lawsuit, filed by Wisner Law Firm in Illinois, says the passengers it is representing suffered “physical and psychological injuries.” They include citizens of the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey and residents of the UAE.
A statement issued by the law firm claims that a cockpit device deployed during take-off and go around, known as the TO/GA switch, was “defectively designed” because it was “inhibited or deactivated” for several seconds on the initial landing.
It claims that that this prevented power being supplied to the engines as the pilots attempted to climb back into the air, causing the Boeing 777 to fall back: “Violently to the ground.” The statement claims that there is no warning given to pilots that this could happen under some circumstances.
The wording of the lawsuit at Cook County Circuit Court contends that as the manufacturer, Boeing, handed over an aircraft and its flight operation manual to Emirates that was “dangerous and defective,” in those respects.
Boeing has said it cannot comment because litigation is pending.
According to the recent UAE interim accident report, the investigation has: “Identified safety enhancements related to the validity of weather information that was passed to the flight crew, and communication between air traffic control and the flight crew.”
It is also working to: “Determine and analyse the human performance factors that influenced flight crew actions during the landing and attempted go-around.”
A full report into the accident may take up to three years to conclude.
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Update: Passengers have right to sue Boeing over Emirates crash, court rules
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
