Public Prosecutor's Office in Vienna Investigates Seven People Following AUA Hail Flight

The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office is conducting investigations against the head and six other individuals of the Federal Safety Investigation Authority (SUB): The department responsible for investigating aviation accidents in the Ministry of Transport is suspected of having obstructed the investigation into the AUA hail flight.

AUA Hail Flight: Airbus Severely Damaged

Nina Bussek, the spokesperson for the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office, confirmed to APA the initiation of investigations against seven individuals. The overall suspicion involves abuse of office, favoritism, and suppression of evidence, although not all suspects are equally implicated. The AUA Airbus A320 encountered a thunderstorm cell and severe turbulence on June 9, 2024, while en route from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna. Initially, a "Mayday" distress call was issued. Nevertheless, the aircraft landed safely at Vienna-Schwechat Airport, and no passengers were injured. However, the aircraft sustained significant damage.

AUA Hail Flight: Korneuburg Public Prosecutor's Office Examines Allegation of Negligent Endangerment

Three weeks ago, police officers, on behalf of the Korneuburg Public Prosecutor's Office, seized the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the "hail flyer" from the Ministry of Transport. It was stated that the Safety Investigation Authority would not have handed them over voluntarily. Meanwhile, passenger lawyer Wolfgang List submitted a statement of facts to the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office, accusing the SUB head and other employees of suspected corruption, obstruction of justice, suppression of evidence, favoritism, and abuse of authority. The Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office has since been examining whether there is an initial suspicion, and has now initiated an investigation.

"Can you explain to me what reasonable reason the SUB has to prevent the publication of this voice recorder and data storage," asked lawyer List in the "Morning Journal." According to the Ministry of Transport, the head has now voluntarily and in coordination with the ministry handed over the procedures affected by the investigations. The same applies to the other suspects, it was further stated. However, even in the interim report published a few days ago, there is again talk of an incident, not an accident, criticized List. Internationally commissioned private reports, on the other hand, have determined that a "serious incident" had occurred. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have not yet been evaluated, it was stated in the report. The Vienna Higher Regional Court must still decide, according to ORF, whether the seizure was lawful. An AUA spokesperson, however, referred to the second SUB interim report, which has been available for a few days and already refers to these data evaluations.

AUA: Highest Interest in Clarification of Hail Flight

Austrian Airlines also emphasized their "highest interest in a complete clarification of the incident." Allegations that they want to prevent the evaluation of the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder are "strongly rejected. The opposite is the case: We have the highest interest in their evaluation, but this should be done according to applicable EU law and national law, regulated in EU Regulation 996/2010," emphasized the AUA. "Accordingly, the sole purpose of the investigation is to increase flight safety in the sense of 'just culture'.

The information is therefore "protected and generally intended for use in the safety investigation by the Federal Safety Investigation Authority (SUB)." The goal is "to learn from incidents and thus contribute to increasing flight safety - incidentally, an internationally established standard and process," according to the airline's statement. Meanwhile, the Korneuburg Public Prosecutor's Office continues to examine the allegation of negligent endangerment in connection with the "hail flyer." An end to the investigation is not yet foreseeable given the scope of the necessary inquiries, said agency spokesperson Gudrun Bischof on Friday in response to an APA inquiry.

(APA/Red)

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