Bravo to the jury that did not allow this lawsuit to prevail. Based on everything I’ve read, this accident had nothing to do with the airplane (it was not defective in any way); rather it had everything to do with pilot error. The manufacturer isn’t responsible. Maybe this is the turning of the tide in lawsuits against airplane manufacturers?
Fly safe,
Greg
Here’s the story from Flying Magazine:
(5/25/11) A New York federal jury on Tuesday found Cirrus Design does not bear any blame for the October 2006 crash of an SR20 that killed New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, 34, and flight instructor Tyler Stanger, 26.
The pair crashed into a high-rise apartment building as they attempted to make a turn in the tight confines of Manhattan’s East River Corridor. The widows of Lidle and Stanger sued Cirrus for $100 million, saying a binding problem with the SR20’s flight controls prevented the men from making the turn. The theory ran counter to the NTSB’s accident findings that pilot error was to blame.
“Our hearts are with the Lidle and Stanger families who are still grieving,” said Bill King, Cirrus vice president. “We’re gratified that the jury reached a decision that confirmed what the National Transportation Safety Board found and what we have always believed: the SR20 did not cause this accident. We very much appreciate the hard work of the jury and the court in this matter.”
A jury of four men and two women took just three hours to enter a verdict after a trial that lasted four weeks. Lawyers for Lidle’s wife Melanie said they planned to appeal the decision.
In a safety review of the accident, the Air Safety Institute reported, “Data indicate most of the turn was actually accomplished at a bank angle of only 40 to 45 degrees. With the maneuver incomplete and New York’s skyscrapers looming large, the pilot likely increased the bank beyond the 61-degree threshold, placing the Cirrus into aerodynamic stall while pulling through the turn.
“The NTSB determined that the accident’s probable cause was the pilots’ inadequate planning, judgment, and airmanship in the performance of a 180-degree turn maneuver inside of a limited turning space.”
The Cirrus aircraft TBP Aero uses is the esteemed SR22-T (turbo).
Here’s a perfect “small airplane” story: it’s possible to get from San Jose to Las Vegas – and be walking the convention hall floor – in less than three hours. How? No “big airport” parking. No “laptop-out, shoes-off” security line. No late or delayed airline flight. Just you, your small airplane, and your instructor – showing you how to fly into Las Vegas McCarran International, parking the airplane alongside the high-roller business jets, and being whisked to your destination from the executive terminal immediately upon your arrival. That’s what Greg enabled a client to do on a recent flight!