But France's BEA accident agency also revealed earlier discussions between Air France and Airbus about the reliability of the probes, and made dozens of safety recommendations from cockpit design to training and search-and-rescue. The relative roles of pilot or sensor error will be key to the trial, exposing differences that insiders say plunged Airbus and Air France into in-fighting behind the scenes for over a decade. We don't want Airbus or Air France to turn this trial into a conference of engineers," said lawyer Sebastien Busy. It is the first time French companies face trial for "involuntary manslaughter" following an air crash. It's their reputations...that's what's at stake for (Air France and Airbus)," said families lawyer Alain Jakubowicz.

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