Lawsuit-happy players in Corey Lidle crash

msnbc.msn.com/id/18415245/
^^^^
As most of us expected, the NTSB has preliminarily ruled that the crash was due to the improper execution of a U-turn in the East River.
With the proper **planning, judgment and airmanship **the 180-degree turn was possible… NTSB investigator said.

  1. Corey Lidle’s widow has filed suit against MetLife. MetLife doesn’t want to pay the life insurance since there’s a clause that says “…if acting in any other capacity than a passenger…” and it probably will never be known who was actually at the controls when it crashed. She claims she is owed $1 million more. The basic payout is $450k.

  2. Dentist who lives in one of the apartments that the airplane crashed into has filed suit against the Lidle estate for $7 million.

  3. The Lidle and Stanger (cfi) families have filed suit against the aircraft manufacturer and manufacturers of various components.

#3 really kills me. What the hell is the basis of that suit? Where have the manufacturers of the aircraft or components failed to provide a service? What a crock.

Easy, the aircraft wasn’t made strong enough to withstand slamming into a building. Post 9/11, all aircraft should be able to withstand that. Come on James, think about it!

Obviously, I agree with #3 being a load of BS. Anything for a quick, easy buck these days.

The aircraft manufacturer failed to produce an airplane that could provide planning, judgment and airmanship to make the turn properly! It’s a no-brainer!

It is a case of throw it against the wall and see what sticks.

My college fraternity has been sued on the national level a number of times. One time a student jumped up on the hood of car while his friend was driving. His friend hit the brake and he went sliding head first into a brick wall. Well the school along with my fraternity were sued. The reason my fraternity was sued, along with all the other Fraternity/Sororities at the school was that is occurred during “Greek Week.” Didn’t matter to the boys family that he was not in a fraternity and to participate you needed to belong and that it happened on the opposite end of campus where all the festivities were happening. Another time we were sued by a woman who fell out of her boyfriend’s bed, who was a brother, and sustained brain damage. Of course it did not matter to her family that she admitted climbing up the trellis on the side of the house and onto to the roof of the deck to climb through a window as he was not to have any overnight guests. In both cases we were successful in getting removed from the lawsuit in the early going, but it still cost a lot of money in legal fees.

In these cases it might be ages before a judge “might” rule that the claims are baseless and throw it outr. But in the meantime the companies will have spent thousands if not millions in legal fees. Knowing how much they might have to spend they will settle, or their insurance companies will have them settle as that would be cheaper in the long run.

Dude, what frat were you in?

The answer to that is easy: lawyers go after the deep pockets. Since aircraft and component companies carry large liability insurance policies, they draw attorneys like flies to sh___.

I’ll take a swing at it (since it is so hard to figure out which one I was in)…

Sig Ep, Kappa Sig?

Sigma Tau Gamma. But as we used to say it is a fraternity, not a frat, would you shorten country? :laughing:

Never heard of it bro.

I do it ALL THE TIME!

Lots of chapters in the midwest, we are based out of Mo., and PA as well.

Ding! We have a winner. I imagine this last suit will be tossed out eventually, though.

No to defend the lawyers (what’s the difference bewteen a catfish and a lawyer?), but I read about this Cirrus service bulletin recently. Note that Cirrus says that this problem would not occur in a properly rigged airplane.

"May 13, 2007

Cirrus Issues Service Bulletin After Control Jam
By Russ Niles, Contributing Editor

Last week Cirrus issued a mandatory Service Bulletin that requires the replacement of some control system parts that, in specific cross control circumstances, can cause the rudder and aileron controls to jam. The Service Bulletin was issued a month after the controls jammed on a relatively new SR20 as a student pilot was lining up for takeoff at Leesburg, Va. According to the NTSB report, the student had applied full right rudder and full left aileron and both systems locked. His instructor aborted the takeoff safely. Investigators found control system parts tangled together and were able to repeat the jamming action. In its Service Bulletin, Cirrus calls for new parts that will prevent the entanglement and it also notes that the jamming has never been reported in aircraft with properly rigged controls. However, the relatively simple fix for the technical issue could affect a lawsuit stemming from the crash of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidles SR20 last October."

My thoughts: In a steep turn, the high wing generates more lift and the airplane wants to wing over. Some opposite aileron would be applied to stop the roll and hold the bank. So, I would expect that the normal control inputs in a steep turn to the left would be some left rudder and partial right aileron. Don’t know whether that would lock the controls, and I am not sure how you would get into a full left rudder/right aileron deflection in a steep turn unless perhaps you are over controlling in an attempt to turn faster. But that could also cause a stall and spin. I’m not sure whether the control inputs that trigger the control lock would ever be likely to occur in coordinated flight. Anyway, it is a question one would expect to be explored in the lawsuit.