News

Jet owner sues private jet manufacturer

According to the Associated Press,  “The owner and operator of a private jet that crashed last year, killing four people, is suing the South Carolina airport, the plane’s manufacturer and a tire company.”
Travis Barker—drummer for the punk band Blink 182—suffered injuries during the crash, which took the lives of four people on board the plane (the pilot, the co-pilot, and two of Barker’s assistants).

The jet was owned by Inter Travel & Services Inc. of Irvine and was operated by Global Exec Aviation Inc. of Long Beach, Calif. Both companies are demanding for more than $12 million worth of damages against Bombardier Aerospace Corp., Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and the South Carolina Airport.

Federal investigators have yet to pin point the cause of the crash, but the cockpit recordings seem to suggest that the pilots thought a tire had blown out during take-off. Pieces of the tire were recovered in the runway.

The law suit is further described by the Associated Press: “The suit contends that the design of the area beyond the runway at Columbia Metropolitan Airport also contributed to the seriousness of the crash: There was not enough room for the plane to stop, a fence and other equipment damaged the jet’s fuel tanks and the lowered roadway around the airport caused the plane to crash nose first into a raised embankment.”

The airport has denied these allegations. On the other hand, Goodyear seems disappointed that the suit was filed. “While the tires may have been involved, it is still too early to speculate on a cause,” said company spokesperson Ed Markey. “The performance of a tire is dependent upon how the tire was used, if it was properly maintained and whether it was damaged before the accident.”

A spokesperson from Bombardier said, “It’s pretty common to have lawsuits filed after an incident.”