Plane Crash Lawsuit Settled for $4.5 Million

Daytona Beach, FLThe children of a man who died in a plane crash will receive $4.5 million after a judge approved the settlement. The man, who was 29 years old when the plane crash occurred, was 1 of 4 people who died in the accident. Also killed were the man's mother, his sister and her husband, who was the plane's pilot.

According to a June 24, 2009 article in the Daytona Beach News-Journal Online, investigators found that the plane broke up in flight, before it crashed into an island in Mosquito Lagoon. Furthermore, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that "an in-flight loss of control and subsequent dive occurred for unknown reasons."

The lawsuit, filed against the plane's owner, Delta Connection Academy Inc., alleged the company failed to properly maintain or repair the aircraft. The lawsuit further alleged that the pilot's negligence contributed to the crash.

In a different investigation, NTSB investigators determined that the pilot of a plane carrying 9 skydivers suffered from a severe lack of oxygen prior to the plane's crash in Washington State. According a July 4, 2009, article at seattletimes.com, investigators determined the pilot was flying for over an hour at altitudes above 14,000 feet, which is higher than the level at which an impaired mental state caused by oxygen loss can occur.

Furthermore, the NTSB said the pilot failed to maintain adequate airspeed, did not make an adequate weather evaluation before take-off and likely did not know he was impaired due to oxygen loss. All 10 people aboard the plane died in the crash. Lawsuits have been filed alleging the plane was defective and should not have been flown in icy weather.

Meanwhile, the survivors of US Airways Flight 1549 are reportedly concerned that they may not be compensated for belongings lost when their plane crash-landed in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. According to a June 16, 2009, article at charlotteobserver.com, passengers initially received $5,000 to cover immediate needs following the crash, but they now say AIG (now calling itself AIU) is not responding to passenger claims.

However, the article notes that the situation with AIG, the airline's insurer, is complicated because no liability has been established in the crash. The NTSB found that geese in the engine caused the plane crash, which could mean that US Airways is not responsible for damages incurred in the accident. AIG says it has offered passengers additional compensation to release their claim against US Airways.