Had Been Sued By Glendale, CA For Property Damage

A pilot who's airplane went down in a Glendale, CA neighborhood will have to reimburse the city $20,000 for property damage and emergency services in a case stemming from the 2012 accident.

But it could have been a lot worse. The city had originally asked for nearly $92,000.

The pilot, Richard Roth, was sued by the city of Glendale for damage to power lines and other property, as well as the cost of police and fire response to the accident, according to a report in the Glendale News-Press. He had been flying from Phoenix, AZ to Van Nuys, CA, when, according to the NTSB's preliminary report, he "reported that while descending below 9,000 feet mean sea level (msl) he experienced a severe surging of the engine. He advised air traffic controllers that he had an emergency, and needed the closest airport. The controller advised the pilot that the nearest airport was El Monte airport (EMT), El Monte, California, which was located behind him and to the south. He was also told that Bob Hope Airport (BUR), Burbank, California, was in front of him. The pilot was familiar with BUR and felt it was his best choice to attempt to land at BUR.

"As the pilot got closer to the airport, he determined he was not going to be able to land at the airport. He attempted to land on a quiet street but he did not see the power lines until it was too late.

"The airplane impacted a telephone/power pole on the northwest corner of Cleveland Road and Glenwood Road in the city of Glendale. The airplane continued westbound hitting an oak tree and a vehicle. The airplane came to rest inverted in the front yard of a residence on Glenwood Road." The board has not yet determined the probable cause of the accident.

The settlement was reached by the Glendale City Council in a closed-door session Tuesday. The paper reports that Roth had originally asked his insurance company to help with the damages, but they declined due to a "technical issue" ... so the money will have to come out of his pocket. Roth was unavailable for comment.

FMI: www.glendaleca.gov/government/city-council