Pays Father Of Third Victim $905,000

The father of one of three men who died in a Missouri plane crash more than three years ago has settled his lawsuit with vacuum-pump maker Parker-Hannifin. The amount of the settlement was $905,000.

Chris Sifford (right) was flying with Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan on board the Cessna 335 in rough IFR weather on October 16, 2000, when it went down near Hillsboro. Sifford's father, Dale, along with the Carnahans' survivors, sued Parker-Hannifin, accusing the company of making vacuum pumps it knew were faulty even after they were cited in more than 20 crashes.

The NTSB accident report indicated there may indeed have been problems with the primary attitude display, but said that secondary instruments were probably functioning at the time of the crash. A second attitude indicator, however, was operating properly -- though located on the copilot's side of the panel. According to the report, it may have been difficult for pilot Randy Carnahan to read under the circumstances. The NTSB ruled the cause of the accident was Randy Carnahan's spatial disorientation and NOT any failure of a Parker-Hannifin product.

But a Jackson County (MO) jury disregarded that information and awarded Carnahan's survivors $4 million. Parker-Hannifin, however, said it was vindicated by the award, since the family had originally sought $100 million. The jury decided not to award punitive damages.

Dale Sifford's lawsuit was almost a mirror of the Carnahan suit, saying the dual vacuum system in the Cessna 335 failed, causing the crash. His lawyer, Kirk Presley, said the Carnahan family's suit prompted him to file on Sifford's behalf.

The judge hearing the case has decided not to set aside the Carnahan ruling. Next week, he'll hear the family's request for a retrial on the issue of punitive damages.

FMI: www.parker.com