Estates Had "No Other Assets Worth Pursuing"

Plaintiffs who suffered losses when a Cirrus SR-20 crashed into a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan on October 11th, 2006 have dropped a $60 million lawsuit, and have agreed to settle for $2 million, according to the mediator in the case.

The NTSB was unable to determine whether Cory Lidle (pictured, right), a pitcher for the New York Yankees, or his flight instructor, 26-year-old Tyler Stanger, was at the controls of the aircraft when it attempted a 180 degree turn in tight quarters and impacted the building. Several pedestrians were injured when debris fell from the crash site, and there were millions of dollars in property damage to the building.

The online site Law.com reports that the plaintiffs dropped the suit because both Lidle and Stanger carried $1 million in life insurance, and their estates had "no other assets worth pursuing" in the case. One personal injury claimant did not accept the settlement.

Lidle was a licensed pilot. The NTSB determined the cause of the accident to be "the pilots' inadequate planning, judgment and airmanship in trying to make a 180-degree turn led to the crash," but never determined precisely who was pilot-in-command.

Cirrus SR-20 File Photo

Law.com reports that the $2 million will be split between insurance companies that claim to have paid out $16.5 million for damages to the building and personal injury.

A product liability suit has been filed against Cirrus by Lidle's widow and Stanger's estate, despite NTSB data that tends to indicate that the airframe was not a significant factor in the cause of this tragic accident.

FMI: www.cirrusaircraft.com