Boeing settles with Canadian father who lost entire family in 737 Max disaster, days after India crash killed over 260

Boeing has settled with Paul Njoroge, a Canadian man who lost his wife, three children, and mother-in-law in the 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which led to the global grounding of the 737 Max fleet.

The agreement, finalized on Friday(July 11), came just days before a jury trial was scheduled to begin in a Chicago federal court. The trial would have been the first in the United States to determine damages related to the crash. Njoroge had planned to testify about the emotional and psychological toll the tragedy had on his life.

“He’s haunted by nightmares and the loss of his wife and children,” said Robert Clifford, Njoroge’s attorney. “He’s got complicated grief and sorrow and his own emotional stress.”


Njoroge’s wife, Carolyne, and their children, Ryan, 6; Kellie, 4; and Rubi, 9 months, were on board Flight 302 when it crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew. The aircraft’s malfunction was traced to a faulty sensor and a software system called MCAS, which repeatedly pushed the plane’s nose downward, overwhelming the pilots.

Boeing redesigned the MCAS system after the crash, and the 737 Max was eventually cleared to fly again following nearly two years of grounding. The company had previously accepted responsibility for the crash in a 2021 agreement that allowed victims’ families to pursue claims in US courts. The terms of the latest settlement were not made public. Boeing declined to comment.

Renewed concerns after Ahmedabad tragedy

The settlement comes just weeks after a new aviation disaster involving a Boeing aircraft. An Air India 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing over 260 people, including passengers, crew, and residents on the ground. Investigators say the crash was caused by a cockpit error, with both fuel-cutoff switches being moved to “off,” shutting down the engines mid-air. Though MCAS was not involved, the aircraft’s manufacturer, Boeing, is again under global scrutiny.

While the Ahmedabad crash is still under investigation and no fault has yet been assigned to Boeing, the incident has intensified questions about pilot training, safety systems, and aircraft design.

Boeing continues to settle cases stemming from past tragedies, but fresh incidents raise new doubts about the company’s safety culture and oversight. Boeing may have closed the door on one legal case, but the questions surrounding its commitment to safety remain very much open.