More Indonesians join cases against Boeing after CEO apology

More families of victims of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia are suing Boeing Co after its chief executive apologized and said a software update for the MAX 8 jet would prevent further disasters.

Family members and lawyers said Monday that CEO Dennis Muilenburg's comment related to an automated flight system in a video statement last week was an admission that helps their cases.

The anti-stall system is suspected as a cause of the Lion Air crash in October and an Ethiopian Airlines crash in March that also involved a MAX 8 jet. The two crashes killed a total of 346 people.

Preliminary reports into both crashes found that faulty sensor readings erroneously triggered the anti-stall system that pushed the plane's nose down. Pilots of each plane struggled in vain to regain control.

Families of 11 Lion Air victims said at a news conference organized by Jakarta law firm Kailimang & Ponto that they are joining dozens of other Indonesian families in filing lawsuits against Boeing.

"Boeing's CEO explicitly apologized to 346 passenger families," said Merdian Agustin, whose husband died in the crash. "We hope this is good momentum to have compensation rights."