Air France and aerospace company Airbus were in a French court on Monday to face charges of involuntary manslaughter, some 13 years after their involvement in the deadliest crash in the history of France's national carrier.

Flight AF-447 went down in the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris back in 2009, killing all 228 passengers and crew on board. 

As the aircraft made its way over the coast of Brazil, it flew straight into a storm near the Equator, which froze up the speed tubes, instruments vital to helping pilots regulate the speed of a plane.

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Investigations following the fatal crash show that this then caused the crew to become disorientated after the auto-pilot was disabled and the nose of the plane turned upwards before control was entirely lost.

In the days after the accident, debris was spotted floating in the sea as a major search operation was launched, 

However, it wasn't until almost two years after the crash that the black box flight recorder was finally located on the ocean floor using remote-controlled submarines - at a depth of 3,900 meters.

Air France and Airbus were charged during an inquiry into the crash, with both companies denying criminal negligence, saying the fatal accident was due to pilot error. 

The case was dropped in 2019, but families of the deceased have been continuing to push for it to be reopened.

They maintain that Airbus and Air France were aware of other incidents involving the speed tubes freezing over, but did nothing to replace them, a decision that could have changed the outcome of the tragic night in 2009.

Hundreds of grieving relatives of the dead will attend court in Paris over the duration of this historic trial, with the opening day reserved for a replay of the harrowing final minutes inside the cockpit as the plane went down over the Atlantic.

A landmark case, given that it is the first time these French companies are being tried following an air crash, with each organization facing a fine of up to €225,000 ($218,000) if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

If that does indeed happen, the reputation of both Air France and Airbus will be tarnished. The trial is expected to take two months before reaching a verdict.