Wed, Sep 22, 2010
Airbus And Northrop Grumman Named In Lawsuit
An Australian lawyer has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit
against Airbus and Northrop Grumman. The suit was filed on behalf
of 76 of the passengers and crew who were aboard a Qantas Airbus
A330-300 in 2008 which twice dived steeply during flight, injuring
several of those on board. The pilot of the aircraft executed a
successful emergency landing at a remote Australian Air Force
base.
The international news service AFP reports that attorney Floyd
Wisner named Northrop Grumman in the suit because it made a data
unit on the plane. He declined to put a dollar estimate on
compensation, but said it could range from the low six figures to
millions per person, depending on the injuries, both physical and
psychological.
The group Wisner is representing consist of passengers from
Australia, Britain, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and India. The three
Qantas pilots are also among those seeking damages. The aircraft
was at FL370 enroute to Perth from Singapore when the autopilot
reportedly disengaged and the plane entered a steep dive, losing
about 650 feet and tossing people and loose items through the
cabin. After the pilot recovered his altitude, a second incident
caused the aircraft to dive 400 feet. The incidents injured more
than 100 people, who sustained broken ribs, spinal fractures, and
other injuries. Wisner said people and food carts flew through the
air, hitting the ceiling and the overhead luggage bins before
eventually falling back onto the seats and floor of the
airplane.
Wisner said the pilot, whom he describes as a former U.S. Navy
"Top Gun" aviator, has not flown since the incident. The pilot said
the aircraft "went out of control" and the computer would not give
him control of the airplane.
Wisner said if the claims are not settled, he expects to be in
court in the United States within two years. Qantas called the
event "exceptionally rare." The Australian Transportation Safety
Bureau has not yet released its final report on the incident. A
spokesman told AFP in a statement that the airline had settled
several claims, but it would also consider any new claims made in
relation to the incident.
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