Kriti Mehrotra
On the morning of March 10, 2019, Michael “Mick” Ryan boarded Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 alongside 20 of his peers from the United Nations, 128 fellow passengers, and 8 crew members. They took off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, but they never made it. It was six minutes into the flight that the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft tragically crashed near the town of Bishoftu, killing every single innocent soul on board. What followed was a fight for answers and justice, as explored in Netflix’s ‘Freefall: A Reckoning for Boeing,’ helmed primarily by Mick’s loving wife, Naoise Connolly-Ryan.
Naoise Connolly-Ryan Still Remembers the Love of Her Life as a Beloved Partner, Father, and Humanitarian
It was reportedly in the 2000s when Irish native Naoise Connolly first met Michael “Mick” Ryan at University College Cork (UCC) by pure chance, only for them to feel a spark unlike any other. One conversation thus led to another, and they were soon falling head over heels in love while also discovering who they were as individuals, as professionals, and as a couple. They built a foundation on their core values, love for their respective families, as well as passion for helping others, enabling them to support one another. So, as they settled down in Cork, they also established their careers – she thrived in the world of engineering, whereas he evolved into a United Nations aid.
Naoise and Mick’s romance just went from strength to strength over the years, so it came as no surprise when they eventually tied the knot in a beautiful, cozy ceremony around 2014. They were still newlyweds when the Chief Engineer at the UN’s World Food Program decided to travel to Liberia to help fight an Ebola outbreak, which really worried his wife. She knew he loved his job despite its demands, and she understood it carried its own set of risks, but she still couldn’t stop worrying about his well-being at every turn. According to records, Mick later also helped bring assistance and build infrastructure to vulnerable people in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Ethiopia.
“The lives he saved, you couldn’t count them,” Naoise candidly told the Sunday Independent. “He really did so much… It was his job, but Mick also had such a big heart.” She added that he wanted to serve as many people as he could through engineering because he believed it had the capacity to change/save lives, and he proved it in every project. That’s why he was in Ethiopia and going to Kenya in March 2019, but everything changed two weeks before he was to celebrate his 40th birthday back in Ireland with family. Naoise still remembers she’d sent her husband a selfie of her, their 3-year-old daughter, and their 6-month-old son from bed that 10th morning, but it was never delivered.
Naoise Connolly-Ryan Demanded Accountability and Justice
Naoise had put her phone down for a few hours after sending Mick the selfie of her and the kids, but she never expected to see several missed calls from a mutual friend when she picked it back up. “I called our friend, and he said, ‘Naoise, have you seen the news? There’s been a plane crash… I think Mick was on that plane.’ And I said, ‘No. No!’,” she emotionally recalled in the documentary. “It’s like time stood still. People don’t just disappear from your life… But that’s what happened. He was- – he was gone.” She couldn’t make sense of the grief and loss for herself, his family, or their kids, so she began looking into what precisely transpired leading up to or during the crash in hopes of answers.
Naoise’s engineering background also kicked in during her research, resulting in her quickly recognizing something was wrong because this was the second Boeing 737 Max 8 crash in 5 months. She said, “Brand new planes falling from the sky, you know, twice. How could this be?.. The more I learned, the more I realized that everything was so wrong and that we need to push for justice.” It subsequently came to light that not only had Boeing allegedly overlooked safety/quality concerns, but it was also a faulty automated flight software system that pushed the Ethiopian plane’s nose down. Therefore, the families of all the victims filed a criminal case against the corporation in the US, only for the Department of Justice to reach a settlement with the aviation giant.
According to the 2021 settlement, Boeing was to pay a significant fine and improve its standards within 3 years, or it would face criminal proceedings. No victim’s family was happy with this decision, so they united to monitor developments within the company and stay in touch with the Department of Justice. According to Naoise, all their ensuing concerns were brushed aside, that is, until another incident occurred merely 3 days before the 3-year mark – a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane’s door plug blew out mid-flight. Thankfully, no one died, but authorities were pushed to take another look at Boeing, just for them to reach another settlement in November 2025. As per records, after the business agreed to pay a $1.1 billion fine, the criminal case against it was dismissed.
After 7 Years, Naoise Connolly-Ryan Feels Vindicated to Have Answers
Since Naoise was paying attention to all the investigations into Boeing in her fight for justice, she was aware it could be a long battle, but she was ready to face it head-on. “More than anything, what I want is the truth and the full truth to come out,” she told the Irish Examiner in 2022. “I want justice for all the victims, and I want accountability and not scapegoats. Then maybe we can get some sense of peace and closure over this, but until that happens, I don’t think we will.” By this point, having realized the US criminal court system could be quite complicated, she had also filed a civil lawsuit against Boeing in December 2021. In her claim, she made it clear she was primarily seeking accountability and transparency from the company about the fatal March 2019 crash.
It took more than 7 years, but Boeing finally admitted during the August 2026 proceedings in Naoise’s civil lawsuit that it is 100% responsible for the crash that claimed the life of her husband and 156 others on March 10, 2019. With the admission being on record and the details of Mick’s death – only his, not any other victims’ – being allowed as evidence in court, the widow and mother of two was awarded $29m in damages. In the aftermath of this verdict, she said, “I don’t want this story to be about an amount of money.”
Naoise continued, “I would never have taken this civil case if we had achieved justice through the criminal court system, but now Boeing has said they are 100% responsible.” She added she feels vindicated because she at least has some sense of closure, plus she knows this victory is a victory for all those who were killed in the crash. As for where she stands today, it appears she prefers to lead a quiet life in Cork City, Ireland, where she keeps her husband’s memories alive while raising their daughter, Saorlaith, and son, Macdara.
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