One Accident, Two Stories

On Aug. 1, 1999, a 1968 Cherokee six crashed shortly after takeoff from an airport in Ohio, killing the pilot and three passengers and seriously injuring a fourth passenger.  The NTSB version of the crash found the pilot’s failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and proper trim as the cause.  However, more than a decade after the accident, a jury has reached a very different conclusion, awarding an $88.7 million verdict against Avco Corp.  This case serves as an example of how the courts have dealt with the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (GARA).  Why the gap between the NTSB’s assessment and the findings of a jury?

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