Tue, May 03, 2011
Finds That London-Based Doncasters Used Non-Standard Alloys In
Engine Maintenance
A jury in Kansas on Thursday awarded $48 million to the families
of five of the six people fatally injured when a DHC-6 Twin Otter
carrying skydivers suffered a catastrophic engine failure just
after takeoff and went down near Sullivan Airport in rural Missouri
southwest of St. Louis. The family of one of those killed in the
accident did not participate in the lawsuit.
Quantum Leap Skydiving Twin Otter
The Union, MO jury ordered London, U.K.-based Doncasters to pay
$4 million to each family, along with an additional $28 million in
punitive damages to be divided between the families, according to a
report in the Kansas City Star. The right engine of the
aircraft "blew up" on July 29, 2006 just after takeoff. The plane
narrowly missed a house when it went down. No one on the ground was
injured. The plane was being operated by Quantum Leap Skydiving of
Sullivan, MO. On its website, Doncasters says it is an
"international engineering group that manufactures precision
components and assemblies for the aerospace, industrial gas
turbines, specialist automotive, petrochemical, construction,
industrial, transportation and recreation markets."
Gary Robb, the attorney who represented the families, said court
testimony revealed that Dorncasters used an engine part made from
an alloy not approved by the manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney
Canada, which was possibly responsible for as many as eight other
engine failures. "Lives will be saved because of what this jury
did," Robb said.
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