Kenya Airlines Flight 507 crashed shortly after takeoff from Douala in the Cameroons on 5 May 2007. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, had a very experienced crew and the latest navigational equipment. The aircraft took off in bad weather and crashed less than three miles from the airport in a swamp at Mbanga Pongo.
The black boxes were recovered and promptly reviewed by the Canadian Ministry of Transport. The accident was also investigated by Boeing personnel under the direction of Thomas Dodt.
Three years later, no official report has been released and no details of the accident have been disclosed. O'Reilly & Collins have formally requested access but this has been denied.
O'Reilly & Collins were retained by twelve families to investigate the accident. O'Reilly & Collins has a proven record with aviation cases and has obtained many multimillion dollar verdicts, including the largest single personal injury settlement in United States aviation history. Their cumulative experience in aviation disasters dates back to the crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 981 near Paris in 1974. They have represented many families of passengers and crew in aviation accidents around the world, including the crashes of the Air France Concorde, TWA Flight 800, Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Air Philippines Flight 541 and EgyptAir Flight 990. Profiles of O'Reilly & Collins are attached, together with details of major aviation cases they have been involved with.
By aggressively pursuing the case, O'Reilly & Collins have been able to settle these claims with Kenya Airlines and have filed an action in Illinois against Boeing and other manufacturers involved in the 737-800. Claisse, et. al., vs. The Boeing Co., United State District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Case Number 09-CV-3722.
O'Reilly & Collins are deeply concerned that the recent crash of Ethiopian Airlines 409 off Beirut on 25 January 2010 is related to the crash of Kenya Airlines Flight 507. The circumstances are frighteningly similar and again, an information shroud has been dropped on the investigation. The French AIB has the black boxes. No information has been released.
A number of Lebanese families and counsel have invited O'Reilly & Collins to investigate this matter and we are determined to find the truth and to see if there is a connection. The safety of everyone who flies on a 737-800 is at stake.
O'Reilly & Collins will ensure that victims' rights are fully protected, the accident circumstances are properly investigated and, where possible, safety lessons are learned from this disaster.
O'Reilly & Collins can be contacted by emailing our law firm where you will be assisted by one of the law firm's experienced aviation attorneys.
O'Reilly & Collins sends their deepest sympathies to all families affected by this terrible tragedy.
