According to various news wires, the French court investigating the 1992 Air Inter fatal crash Airbus A320 crash near Strasbourg has cleared the six defendants of manslaughter charges, but has found Airbus and Air Inter parent Air France liable for damages.

The Colmar tribunal has acquitted the representatives from air traffic control, airline and aviation safety agency of criminal charges they had faced in a case brought by the relatives of 87 people that were killed as the A320 crashed into Mt Ste Odile on 20 January 1992. The aircraft had not been fitted with terrain avoidance equipment.

But the court found the manufacturer and operator liable and has ordered them to pay as-yet-undetirmined compensation to the relatives.

The six defendants had been on trial since May on manslaughter charges and had faced up to two years in prison, Associated Press reports in the International Herald Tribune.
 
The aircraft was en route to Strasbour from Lyons and crashed on approach.

Source: FlightGlobal.com