Malaysia Flight 370 families deserve more than confusion, says leading aviation attorney

CHICAGO | Christian News Service | — One of the world’s leading aviation attorneys says family members of passengers on Malaysia Flight 370 deserve better from investigators and the aircraft’s manufacturer Boeing.

Floyd Wisner, principal of Chicago-based Wisner Law Firm, says in his two decades of handling almost all of the world’s major air disasters, he’s never seen such confusion and misinformation.

Floyd Wisner

Wisner Law Firm represented families of Air France Flight 447, which was similarly missing in the (Atlantic) Ocean for days in 2009.

He said the difference in the aftermath of two incidents was noticeable.

“Contact was lost with the Air France aircraft and it was missing for some time, however the investigating authorities released all available information as soon as possible. It seems in stark contrast to this situation.

“Here the news one minute is terrorism, the next we hear it’s flown over one part of the sea, then it changes and now it’s going in a different direction. Passengers that existed no longer exist, there are conflicting reports of radio contact — it’s simply all over the place.”

“Where is Boeing in all of this? The investigators collectively must become more transparent and informative,” he said.

Mr Wisner pointed out that family members will be suffering enormously, not only due to the realisation that loves ones are lost, but because of the uncertainty.

“Family members must be informed regularly about what has been found, what is known and not known.”

The attorney said he invariably dealt with family members of air disasters, as he is one of only a few aviation lawyers world-wide that can represent major aviation cases.

“We understand that investigators may not have all the answers yet, but surely they can stop the public confusion,” he said.

Mr Wisner has represented passengers and crew in many international air crashes including the compensation case for another Boeing 777, which crashed on Landing at London’s Heathrow airport on January 17, 2008.