Ribbeck Law Files Request With FAA as First Step Toward U.S. Lawsuits in Jeju Air Flight 2216 Crash

CHICAGO, April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ribbeck Law Chartered, one of the world's most prominent aviation law firms, has filed a request for information with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the opening move in a series of legal actions in the United States on behalf of victims and families affected by the crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which occurred on December 29, 2024 in Muan, South Korea.

The aircraft involved, a Boeing 737-8AS, was equipped with CFM International CFM56-7B turbofan engines. The information request is focused on obtaining all documentation related to the FAA's certification of these engines, including:

type certification records, certification test results and performance data, airworthiness directives applicable to the CFM56-7B engines, compliance and conformity documents submitted by CFM International and Boeing, as well as any internal or external FAA correspondence or memoranda regarding the certification and continued airworthiness of these engines.

"All this information is critical," said Dr. Monica R. Kelly, Aviation Attorney and Head of Global Litigation at Ribbeck Law. "Before an aircraft engine is approved for commercial use, it must meet rigorous federal safety and performance standards. If shortcuts were taken during the certification process, or if known issues were overlooked, the consequences would be life-threatening—as we may have seen in this crash."

Ribbeck Law will be looking into potential design flaws, manufacturing defects, and regulatory lapses that may have contributed to the accident. The information request aims to uncover whether the CFM56-7B engines—which are used widely in Boeing 737 aircraft—were properly tested, certified, and monitored for ongoing airworthiness.

"This marks the beginning of a multimillion-dollar litigation effort in U.S. courts against all responsible parties—including manufacturers, component suppliers, and certifying authorities," said Dr. Manuel von Ribbeck, Ribbeck Law's Founding Partner. "We have represented families in nearly every major aviation disaster over the last two decades, including the historic 737 Max 8 cases, and we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of justice for the victims of Jeju Air Flight 2216."

Ribbeck Law initiated the lawsuits against Boeing following the 737 Max 8 disasters in 2018 and 2019, representing the majority of the families from both the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes. Those cases revealed not only devastating technical failures, but also a dangerously close relationship between the FAA and Boeing in which it could be argued that Boeing was almost basically self-certifying its own aircraft systems with limited regulatory oversight.

"Our experience in the Max 8 litigation showed us that the certification process might need a second look" noted Dr. Kelly. "We are determined to find out whether any failures occurred with the certification of the engines installed on the Boeing 737-8AS involved in this crash."

Media Contact: Mark Goldman, Goldman McCormick PR
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SOURCE Ribbeck Law Chartered