Just to add a little twist, the lawyers have come out in full force againt ATC in that Cessna 172/Saberliner midair in San Diego last summer-
Suits blame traffic control in fatal plane crash
San Diego Union-Tribune (CA) (Published: 9-Jan 2016 5:02, Received: 5:02:28)
By Dana Littlefield, The San Diego Union-Tribune
Word Count: 561
Jan. 09--SAN DIEGO -- The families of those killed in a plane collision near Otay Mesa have filed lawsuits blaming the air traffic controllers for clearing both planes to land at Brown Field and allowing them to fly too close.
The latest wrongful-death lawsuit was filed last week by the family of Michael A. Copeland, a 55-year-old Qualcomm executive from San Diego who was the sole occupant of a single-engine Cessna 172 that collided with a twin-engine Sabreliner jet on Aug. 16 above the small airport.
All four people on the jet were also killed.
Copeland's widow, Kathleen, and two adult children contend that New Jersey-based Serco Inc. -- which contracts with the U.S. government to provide air traffic control services at Brown Field -- and a manager at the airport's control tower were negligent because the air traffic controllers failed to keep the two aircraft a safe distance apart.
The San Diego Superior Court suit also blames Maryland-based BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services, which owned and operated the Saberliner.
The pilot of the jet, Jeffrey Percy, 41, of the Mojave area, was a BAE employee. His co-pilot James Hale, 66, of Adelanto, was a contract employee for BAE. They were testing radar for the Navy on their flight.
Attorney David S. Casey Jr. , who represents the Copeland family, has said the control tower communicated with the pilots of both planes before the crash.
"We tragically learned that they made miscommunications," Casey said, explaining that both aircraft had been cleared to land at the airport, and that Copeland had been cleared to perform "touch and go" maneuvers in the Cessna.
The attorney said Copeland would not have been able to see the jet, which was flying above and behind the Cessna at a higher speed.
"Michael Copeland had no idea that another plane was coming at him," Casey said.
The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages.
Serco spokesman Alan Hill said in a statement Friday that the company continues to support and cooperate fully with the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation and Safety Board as investigators work to understand the cause of the collision.
In a similar statement, BAE Systems spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said: "BAE Systems employees continue to mourn the loss of all of those killed in this tragic accident. We continue to support the investigation and because it is ongoing, we cannot comment further."
Other lawsuits related to the fatal collision make similar claims against Serco.
Hale's family filed a lawsuit against the company in November, while Percy's family filed one against Serco and the airport's control tower manager in December. The family of a passenger in the jet, John Kovach, 35, of the Mojave area, filed a lawsuit against the company in December.
The widow and teenage son of Carlos Palos, 40, also a Mojave area resident and the other passenger in the Saberliner, filed a lawsuit in September against Percy's and Copeland's estates as well as the Cessna's owner, Plus One Flyers.
That lawsuit has been dismissed, but Copeland's attorney said he expects it to be filed again with Serco named as the defendant.
Staff writer Kristina Davis contributed to this report.