(MENAFN) The families of victims killed in a tragic Jeju Air crash last December are seeking compensation from Boeing in a U.S. court, alleging that manufacturing defects contributed to the disaster that claimed 179 lives, South Korean media reported Thursday.

The lawsuit, filed by Herman Lawgroup, which represents 14 families, was lodged in the Superior Court of King County, Seattle. The Wisner Law Firm, also representing several victims’ families, has filed a similar case against Boeing in an Illinois state court.

The suit claims that outdated electrical and hydraulic systems on the aircraft played a key role in the plane's failure to land safely. Lead attorney Charles Herrmann, who is handling the Seattle case, criticized Boeing’s response. “Boeing resorts to its old, worn-out ‘blame the pilots’ tactic,” Herrmann said, according to The New York Times, “instead of acknowledging responsibility.”

On December 29, a Jeju Air jet flying from Bangkok crashed while attempting an emergency belly landing at Muan International Airport, located 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. The aircraft overshot the runway, struck a concrete mound, and erupted in flames. Of the 181 passengers aboard, 179 died, with two survivors.

While the investigation into the incident remains ongoing, a preliminary report from the South Korean government released in July pointed to pilot error as a contributing factor. The report suggested that a bird strike severely damaged the plane’s right engine, leading the pilot to shut down the still-operational left engine, exacerbating the emergency.

The lawsuit argues that Boeing has been negligent in maintaining its safety standards over recent years, pointing to the company’s failure to upgrade key electrical and hydraulic systems.

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