A court in eastern France has thrown out a lawsuit by families of victims of a 1992 plane crash that accused the government of dragging out prosecution of the case.

After a 14-year investigation, defense aviation officials and an Airbus executive went on trial in May for manslaughter in the crash, which killed 87 people. Families claimed 14 years is too long to wait for justice and sued the French government for 14 million euros for "excessive duration of the penal procedure.'' However, a civil court in Strasbourg dismissed the case, when state prosecutor Elisabeth Roth-Pignon said a long procedure was to be expected in such a complex case, and the families showed no proof that anyone intentionally dragged it out.