The United States Government has agreed to settle a claim filed by Hare, Wynn lawyers, Nolan Awbrey and Jim ("J.T.") Thompson, for $2.55 million dollars.
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The United States Government has agreed to settle a claim filed by Hare, Wynn lawyers, Nolan Awbrey and Jim ("J.T.") Thompson, for $2.55 million dollars. The settlement will benefit a young widow, and two surviving young boys, ages 5 and 4. The tragedy leading to the claim arose from a plane crash in Camp Hill, Alabama on May 10, 2006. The Piper PA-60 aircraft encountered severe thunderstorm conditions and was destroyed, killing the pilot and passenger. The National Transportation and Safety Board's investigation revealed that the air traffic controllers failed to comply with the FAA directives regarding issuance of severe weather information by not advising the pilot of the radar-depicted weather displayed on the radar controller's scope. According to the recorded display system information, there was moderate to extreme weather depicted along the aircraft's flight track and the pilot unknowingly flew the airplane into the depicted weather, even though he was in communication with air traffic controllers. The investigation revealed that the airplane was controlled by three different controllers, each one confused as to what the other controller had advised the pilot. The investigation reviewed the flight track and determined that the aircraft flew directly towards the storms for several minutes, during which time neither controller provided any radar weather information, as is required by federal law.
