Eagle Pilot Sues Boeing

[KigAir]

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,164551,00.html

F-15 Pilot Sues Boeing for Damages
St. Louis Post-Dispatch | By Steve Giegerich | March 24, 2008
A Missouri Air National Guard pilot filed suit this week in U.S. District Court, claiming Boeing Corp. "should have known" the F-15C Eagle that broke in half during a training mission last November was "defective and unreasonably dangerous."
Maj. Stephen Stilwell suffered severe injuries when he bailed out of the F-15C over rural Dent County, in south-central Missouri, on Nov. 2.

A native of Chillicothe, Mo., Stilwell, 37, was based with the 131st Fighter Wing at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

After the accident, the Air Force grounded more than 300 older model F-15s after finding cracks in some planes and parts that didn't meet safety specifications in others.

The older planes were built by McDonnell Douglas Corp. of St. Louis before the company's 1997 sale to Boeing.

"Boeing knew or should have know that the F-15 as manufactured allowed and permitted for catastrophic flight break-up," said Stilwell's suit, filed by attorney Morry S. Cole.

Stilwell also claims the manufacturer failed to notify the Air Force and Missouri Air National Guard of "the likelihood of excess stress concentrations, fatigue cracking, structural failure and in-flight aircraft break up as a result of the structural deficiencies."

In a December interview with the Post-Dispatch, Stilwell said he managed to eject from the plane despite smashing his left shoulder and arm as the aircraft began to fishtail out of control at 18,000 feet.

His injuries, Stilwell said, required doctors to insert a 10-inch metal plate in the injured arm and shoulder.

Stilwell, who flies commercially for Southwest Airlines, said he has suffered from chronic pain since the accident.

 

[Huggyu2]

St. Louis attorney; he's a private pilot too.
http://www.grgpc.com/morry_cole.html

 

[SIG600]

Popcorn in hand, this is going to be good.

Wonder what effect this will have on his career.

 

[ableone]

Popcorn in hand, this is going to be good.

Wonder what effect this will have on his career.

Which one?

Military or civilian?

I don't think Southwest employees are allowed to have a negative opinion of Boeing.

I hope this dude recovers, sounds like a painful injury.

 

[JungleJett]

Which one?

Military or civilian?

I don't think Southwest employees are allowed to have a negative opinion of Boeing.

I hope this dude recovers, sounds like a painful injury.

With all due respect, if he took a SAM up the pipe, could he sue the defensive suite maker?

Personally, I think it is a lame law suit. Sh!t happens in military aviation. Unless it is proven to be a manufacturing flaw that was covered up by MD, then this guy should be happy to be alive. I also think he should hang up his bag and drop his wings off at the DO's office. How will he ever get back in an airplane and have complete confidence in it and be willing to push it?

Sort of like our good friend Maverick and the flat spin.....

 

[bagasticks]

With all due respect, if he took a SAM up the pipe, could he sue the defensive suite maker?

Personally, I think it is a lame law suit. Sh!t happens in military aviation. Unless it is proven to be a manufacturing flaw that was covered up by MD, then this guy should be happy to be alive. I also think he should hang up his bag and drop his wings off at the DO's office. How will he ever get back in an airplane and have complete confidence in it and be willing to push it?

Sort of like our good friend Maverick and the flat spin.....

I'll agree with you on the lawsuit, but the "hang up the bag, turn in the wings" probably a little suspect unless you have personally had your body broken bailing out of a jet. . I had a skipper in the Marine Corp that had bailed out of both seats of the F4 (injured both times) and I'll promise you has enough confidence for 10 dudes and would happily push another jet beyond the laws set forth by old man murphy. .

 

[stonewall]

This lawsuit sucks. What's next? If someone GLOCs can his family sue the g-suit maker? Can I sue the other guy if he's out of his block and hits me? Bad idea on first impression.

 

[SIG600]

If you're fat it's simple, they make you sign a waiver that says "ejecting will probably hurt you." No suing for me.

 

[AlbieF15]

I have heard Crow is a good guy. I am shocked by this.

I had this discussion with my wife many times. We were friends with the widow of a German gal married to an American who was killed in a tragic mishap in Germany in 1995...one that later made a lot of National media. I knew the pilot...and we of course grieved for his wife's loss. She was (and as far as I know still is...) a wonderful lady. However--I asked my wife if that ever happened to me, to chunk me in the ground, throw a party, take the SGLI, and leave it at that. Our job is to prevent the NEXT mishap, not sue over the last one. These kinds of cases hurt safety and our ability to move forward with the most capable and tactical equipment.

But...its been a while since I chatted with anyone from St Louis, and maybe there is more to the story. On the surface, however, I am agahst...

 

[JungleJett]

I'll agree with you on the lawsuit, but the "hang up the bag, turn in the wings" probably a little suspect unless you have personally had your body broken bailing out of a jet. . I had a skipper in the Marine Corp that had bailed out of both seats of the F4 (injured both times) and I'll promise you has enough confidence for 10 dudes and would happily push another jet beyond the laws set forth by old man murphy. .

I have not jumped from an airplane but I can assure you that if I were to strap an airplane on that came apart under me and then I sued the builder because I thought the airplane was inherently unsafe, your damn right I would have a lack of confidence in it. In fact, by virtue of the lawsuit, he is stating in court papers that he does not have confidence in the airplane. Take the lawsuit out of the equation and I would be willing to bet that when he went out and pulled his first G's, he would be thinking about it and maybe go a little easy. Maybe I am wrong..but it seems like human nature to me.

If I bought a Ford Explorer with Firestone tires on it and the thing flipped on me and I got hurt, then sued Ford, I would more than likely NOT get back in another Explorer or if I did, be a bit concerned about it.

If this guy feels that he was given a "defective and unreasonably dangerous" airplane, do you really think he would get back in it? Seriously? If you felt that "Boeing knew or should have know that the KC-135 (my edit) as manufactured allowed and permitted for catastrophic flight break-up" and you sued them, would you get back in the airplane?