Family of Matteson man killed in Ethiopian Airlines Boeing MAX 737 crash files lawsuit

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The family of Antoine Lewis, a U.S. Army Captain from south suburban Matteson who was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, announced they are filing a lawsuit against the Boeing Company.

"My husband's death is a direct result of corporate greed gone wrong," Yalena Lopez Lewis said at a press conference Wednesday.

Wife of Matteson man killed in Boeing MAX crash calls for removal of Boeing MAX planes

The wife of a Matteson man who was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 announces lawsuit against the Boeing Company.

She has filed a lawsuit against Boeing alleging that it focused on profit more than passenger safety when it released its 737 MAX planes into the marketplace.

"Boeing needlessly put the lives of countless passengers in danger, including Antoine," Lopez Lewis said.

Army captain from Matteson killed in Ethiopia plane crash

A suburban Matteson native was on board the plane that crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday. He was in Africa on a church mission.

Lewis, 39, was a decorated military captain, working his way up in the Army, and serving in Afghanistan. He had just started a vacation to research his family tree when he boarded Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in March.

He was one of the eight Americans on board the Ethiopian Airlines flight en-route to Kenya, when the plane crashed moments after takeoff. It was the second deadly crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane in just five months.

'Clear similarities' in Boeing crashes in Ethiopia, Indonesia, preliminary data shows

Ethiopian officials say there are "clear similarities" between the Ethiopian crash and an Indonesian crash five months earlier.

Now his wife is calling on U.S. airlines to replace all MAX planes in their fleets with an aircraft that is proven to be safe.

"Boeing should not be trusted and indeed it has lost the public's trust," said Tony Romanucci, Lewis' attorney.

Boeing had defended the airworthiness of the 737 MAX planes, but they have been grounded since March.

"It is clear to me from all the evidence that Boeing MAX is a flawed plane from nose to tail and should never be flown again," Lopez Lewis said.

In a written statement, Boeing said: We extend our deepest condolences to the family of Antoine Lewis and to all of the families and loved ones of those onboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. As the investigations continue, Boeing is cooperating fully with the investigating authorities. We won't comment on the lawsuit directly. Safety is our highest priority as we design, build and support our airplanes.