France's highest court has cleared the way for a trial of airline and aviation officials accused of involuntary homicide over a plane crash in French Polynesia.
Flowers at the Air Moorea crash site Photo: AFP
The case stems from an Air Moorea crash 10 years ago when a Twin Otter bound for Tahiti fell into the sea, killing all 20 people onboard.
Although investigators concluded that there were major dysfunctional procedures and that a ruptured cable downed the plane, nobody was held accountable for the crash.
However, the victims' families then launched a bid to take eight people as well as the airline to court.
However, the former director of the French civil aviation authority and the director of the group in charge of French Polynesian civil aviation safety objected.
They tried to halt the proceedings by seeking an injunction in France's highest court which has however rejected their bid.
No trial date has been set but Radio 1 in Tahiti says the criminal court in Papeete is expected to hear the case of the eight accused next year.