Families of victims from the Jeju Air (7C, Jeju) crash at Muan in December 2024 have filed lawsuits against Boeing in US courts, alleging that outdated aircraft systems contributed to the disaster that killed 179 people.

According to a statement from the Herrmann Law Group, the firm filed a complaint in King County Superior Court in Seattle on behalf of 14 families. The lawsuit alleges that Boeing's “antiquated electrical and hydraulic systems,” dating back to designs from 1958, deprived pilots of the means to land safely. A separate filing by the Wisner Law Firm in the Illinois State Court represents additional victims' families.

The complaint claims that cascading failures in the aircraft's electrical and hydraulic systems allegedly caused the landing gear, flaps, slats, spoilers, and thrust reversers to malfunction.

Lead attorney Charles Herrmann said Boeing “resorts to its old, worn-out 'blame the pilots' tactic” instead of acknowledging what the plaintiffs allege were design defects. He said the families turned to US courts, “where we can legally compel them to reveal the truth.”

Pilots of B737-800 HL8088 (msn 37541), arriving from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi on December 29, 2024, declared an emergency after a bird strike while attempting a go-around at Muan. The aircraft landed gear-up, overran the runway, and crashed into an embankment. All but two persons on board died in the crash.

Investigators previously said preliminary findings indicated a bird strike as a key factor in the crash, with South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board reporting that both engines may have been damaged. However, the final report is not expected until June 2026.

The new filings follow a series of separate lawsuits lodged in early 2025 in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Cook County Circuit Court, each alleging product defects. In those cases, plaintiffs seek damages totalling USD450,000 for alleged failures of the engines, electrical and hydraulic systems, landing gear, and related safety equipment.

Boeing has so far not publicly commented on the lawsuits.