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From: ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: Citation lawsuit
Message-ID: <4807@alice.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Jan-86 18:40:12 EST
Article-I.D.: alice.4807
Posted: Mon Jan 13 18:40:12 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 15-Jan-86 00:25:16 EST
References: <967@terak.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Murray Hill
Lines: 21

> This was the crash where pitching star Thurman Munson killed himself
> and two passengers while practicing touch-and-goes.  I don't recall
> the basis for the lawsuit; through the fog in my head I see vague
> images of the single-pilot certification for the Citation.  Maybe
> that was it.

The basis for the lawsuit is almost surely the "deep pockets" theory:
sue whoever has the most money and hope they'll settle.

Munson didn't lower flaps on the approach, got behind the power curve,
and stalled because jet engines don't spool up from idle nearly as
quickly as piston engines and because he was carrying less power than
he should have as the flaps were up.  He would have walked away from
the crash had he been wearing his seat belt.  As it is, he was knocked
unconscious when he hit his head against the controls and didn't get out
in time to escape the fire.

He also violated the terms of his insurance contract, which requred
that for the first N hours (I forget the value of N, but it's about 100)
after buying the Citation, he would only fly it with a type-rated
instructor in the right seat.  I consider his death a suicide.