Finds That London-Based Doncasters Used Non-Standard Alloys In Engine Maintenance

A jury in Kansas on Thursday awarded $48 million to the families of five of the six people fatally injured when a DHC-6 Twin Otter carrying skydivers suffered a catastrophic engine failure just after takeoff and went down near Sullivan Airport in rural Missouri southwest of St. Louis. The family of one of those killed in the accident did not participate in the lawsuit.

Quantum Leap Skydiving Twin Otter

The Union, MO jury ordered London, U.K.-based Doncasters to pay $4 million to each family, along with an additional $28 million in punitive damages to be divided between the families, according to a report in the Kansas City Star. The right engine of the aircraft "blew up" on July 29, 2006 just after takeoff. The plane narrowly missed a house when it went down. No one on the ground was injured. The plane was being operated by Quantum Leap Skydiving of Sullivan, MO. On its website, Doncasters says it is an "international engineering group that manufactures precision components and assemblies for the aerospace, industrial gas turbines, specialist automotive, petrochemical, construction, industrial, transportation and recreation markets."

Gary Robb, the attorney who represented the families, said court testimony revealed that Dorncasters used an engine part made from an alloy not approved by the manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney Canada, which was possibly responsible for as many as eight other engine failures. "Lives will be saved because of what this jury did," Robb said.

FMI: www.courts.mo.gov