Says P&W, Skydiving Company, Airport Responsible For Daughter's Death

The National Transportation Safety Board has yet to issue its preliminary report on last Saturday's accident involving a skydiving plane near Sullivan, MO... but that doesn't mean the lawyers are waiting to assign blame.

The parents of Victoria Delacroix, 22 -- who perished in the accident, along with five others -- filed a lawsuit Thursday claiming negligence led one of the DeHavilland DHC-6's engines to fail, leading to the accident.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Vivian and Susan Delacroix of Kent, England, are suing engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney; Quantum Leap Skydiving Center; Adventure Aviation, owner of the accident aircraft; and Sullivan Regional Airport, which serviced the plane -- saying all are responsible for the death of their daughter.

"Our initial investigation points to a right engine failure just after takeoff," said Gary C. Robb, a Kansas City attorney representing the family. Witnesses say the plane's right engine burst into flames moments after the plane took off, Robb added.

As Aero-News reported, the DHC-6 went down in a residential area shortly after takeoff from the airport on a planned skydiving mission. There were only two survivors of the accident.

Calls by the Post-Dispatch to Quantum Leap and the city of Sullivan -- which owns the airport -- were not returned. A spokesperson with Pratt & Whitney also declined to comment, stating it corporate policy not to discuss incidents still under investigation.

Robb, apparently, does not share that sentiment.

"There were some of the most experienced skydivers in the world on that plane, and not even they could jump from that altitude," Robb said.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov