Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Lawsuit filed in plane crash that killed sky divers
The airplane that crashed Oct. 7, killing nine Snohomish-based sky divers and a pilot, was unfit for flying in icy conditions, according to a lawsuit filed last week in
U.S. District Court in Seattle.
The lawsuit is one of several alleging that airplane manufacturer Cessna Aircraft Co. and the maker of the deicing system on the Model 208B Grand Caravan, Goodrich Corp., violated their duties to safeguard people who fly in the airplane.
The lawyer who filed the lawsuit on behalf of family members of a sky diver who perished called the plane an “ice magnet” that should not have been certified for flight in icy conditions.
The plane was certified for cold weather after “Cessna faked data,” lawyer Dean Brett of Seattle said.
The civil lawsuit seeks punitive damages and alleges fraud, willful misconduct, product defects, negligence and breach of warranty. It was filed on behalf of the family of Bryan Jones, 34, of Redmond.
At corporate headquarters in Wichita, Kan., Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation. However, he said the airplane is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for flights into known icing conditions when it is operated by the approved pilot handbook.
The suit was filed in conjunction with a Chicago-based law firm, Nolan Law Group, which represents others in lawsuits stemming from Cessna 208B crashes in the United States, Canada and Russia.
Jones’ family wants to help bring “true, meaningful changes in this airplane, which have apparently been a long time coming,” Brett said.
The airplane, a version of a cargo air ship, was en route to Shelton in Mason County from Star Idaho after a sky diving event. It crashed in the rugged Cascade Mountains west of Yakima, killing all onboard.
Others who were killed include Phil Kibler, 46, of Snohomish, who was the pilot; Cecil Elsner, 20, of Lake Stevens; Landon Atkin, 20, of Snohomish; Andrew Smith, 20, of Lake Stevens; Jeff Ross, 28, of Snohomish; Hollie Rasberry, 24, of Bellingham; Michelle Barker, 22, of Kirkland; Casey Craig, 30, of Bothell; and Ralph Abdo, 27, of Issaquah.
The sky divers were members of Skydive Snohomish, based at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish.
Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that the airplane’s stall warning system is inadequate, and that Cessna has been aware of that since 2005. It also alleges that the pneumatic deicing system of the Caravan was “defective” and “unreasonably dangerous.”
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or jhaley@heraldnet.com.
U.S. District Court in Seattle.
The lawsuit is one of several alleging that airplane manufacturer Cessna Aircraft Co. and the maker of the deicing system on the Model 208B Grand Caravan, Goodrich Corp., violated their duties to safeguard people who fly in the airplane.
The lawyer who filed the lawsuit on behalf of family members of a sky diver who perished called the plane an “ice magnet” that should not have been certified for flight in icy conditions.
The plane was certified for cold weather after “Cessna faked data,” lawyer Dean Brett of Seattle said.
The civil lawsuit seeks punitive damages and alleges fraud, willful misconduct, product defects, negligence and breach of warranty. It was filed on behalf of the family of Bryan Jones, 34, of Redmond.
At corporate headquarters in Wichita, Kan., Cessna spokesman Doug Oliver said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation. However, he said the airplane is approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for flights into known icing conditions when it is operated by the approved pilot handbook.
The suit was filed in conjunction with a Chicago-based law firm, Nolan Law Group, which represents others in lawsuits stemming from Cessna 208B crashes in the United States, Canada and Russia.
Jones’ family wants to help bring “true, meaningful changes in this airplane, which have apparently been a long time coming,” Brett said.
The airplane, a version of a cargo air ship, was en route to Shelton in Mason County from Star Idaho after a sky diving event. It crashed in the rugged Cascade Mountains west of Yakima, killing all onboard.
Others who were killed include Phil Kibler, 46, of Snohomish, who was the pilot; Cecil Elsner, 20, of Lake Stevens; Landon Atkin, 20, of Snohomish; Andrew Smith, 20, of Lake Stevens; Jeff Ross, 28, of Snohomish; Hollie Rasberry, 24, of Bellingham; Michelle Barker, 22, of Kirkland; Casey Craig, 30, of Bothell; and Ralph Abdo, 27, of Issaquah.
The sky divers were members of Skydive Snohomish, based at Harvey Airfield in Snohomish.
Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that the airplane’s stall warning system is inadequate, and that Cessna has been aware of that since 2005. It also alleges that the pneumatic deicing system of the Caravan was “defective” and “unreasonably dangerous.”
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or jhaley@heraldnet.com.
Comments
(
