Cory Lidle's Widow Files Lawsuit

[Rhino]

Cory Lidle's widow files suit against maker of his doomed plane

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The widow of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle has filed suit against the company that made her husband's doomed plane, alleging that "catastrophic failure" of its flight control system caused the aircraft's crash into a Manhattan high-rise apartment building last fall.

Lidle, 34, and his flight instructor both died in the Oct. 11 crash of his Cirrus SR-20 plane, the cause of which is still under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Melanie Lidle filed the suit against Cirrus Design Corp. in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Santa Monica on Feb. 22.

The lawsuit alleges design problems with the plane hindered Lidle's ability to make crucial flight turns because a small hinged section of an outboard wing was stuck in the full upright position. The suit charges that Cirrus failed to monitor, control and notify users of foreseeable dangers related to the airplane's component and safety parts. (Posted 10:23 p.m.)......http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/03/02/friday/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Funny that the FAA has made absolutely no mention of a flight control problem. But then again, when have people let facts get in the way of a good lawsuit?

This too:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Lawsuits_Flying_Lidle_Crash_194589-1.html

[DesertFox]

I think John Edwards' shingle is still blowin' in the wind in Carolina.

[Beowulf]

Having worked on a few of those planes, I've never seen anything bad about it. ANY plane can have a problem and crash like that. ANY one!!!

[Rhino]

From what the FAA has said so far, it doesn't appear that the aircraft had a problem at all. The problem was the pilots, exacerbated by the weather.

[buckeyepete]

Will we now see a second lawsuit against the building owner for building the structure too tall? How about a lawsuit for building a structure in the future flight path of airplanes?

[Incident_command]

From what the FAA has said so far, it doesn't appear that the aircraft had a problem at all. The problem was the pilots, exacerbated by the weather.

Controlled filght into terrain/building?

[BEST45CAL]

It's always the pilot's fault. She's suing because flying was probably not covered in his (Cory's) life insurance policy and she wants to get something out of his death.

[Rhino]

Controlled filght into terrain/building?Pretty much. The corridor they were flying in was very narrow and it got narrower as it went further north. For that reason, few aircraft ever ventured very far into it. Lidle and his instructor went much further north than most aircraft do, into the narrowest part. Couple that with the stiff crosswind and the fact that the Cirrus is not really a low speed 'yank and bank' type of aircraft, and you have a recipe for almost certain disaster. But like I said before, folks never let a few inconvenient facts get in the way of a good lawsuit.