Allegations in the lawsuit include negligence on the part of the flight crew, a defective deicing system and an inadequate flight control system. The suit further alleges that the airline negligently, carelessly and recklessly operated Continental Connection Flight 3407 and flew it into dangerous icing conditions. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that the airline knew the plane had ineffective de-icing equipment and did not adequately train the flight crew to operate in icing conditions with poor equipment.The lawsuit was filed against Continental Airlines, Inc, Pinnacle Airlines Corp., Colgan Air, Inc. and Bombardier Aerospace Corporation. The plaintiffs allege that the plane was defective in its design and manufacture and was unreasonably dangerous to fly in such icing conditions.
An attorney for the plaintiffs said, "This lawsuit will enable us to explore the causes of this needless tragedy. From the moment flight 3407 was dispatched into known icing conditions with an antiquated de-icing system, to the time the pilots deployed the aircraft's flaps, and at several points in between, the flight was doomed as a result of the negligent conduct of the parties we sued."
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Although no official cause for the plane crash has been released, it has been widely speculated that the crash was caused by a build-up of ice on the plane.
Wehle was a spiritual leader and cantor at Williamsville's Temple Beth Am synagogue for 7 years. She had a Judaic Studies degree and taught musical and spiritual workshops. She was also an actress and performed with theater companies in New York and Chicago. According to one report, Wehle was on her way home from a vacation in Costa Rica when her life was cut short by the plane crash. She is survived by 2 sisters and a brother.
Here is an interview with attorney Ron Goldman of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, PC regarding the lawsuit: click here to listen.