Mary Schiavo Files Suit Against Airlines and Airports over Sept 11

[The Guvnor]

[quote]January 11, 2002

Attacks Victims' Families File Suits
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


Filed at 5:56 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The families of six passengers who were aboard airplanes that crashed on Sept. 11 sued the airlines and airport security companies on Friday, claiming they failed to adequately protect passengers from the hijackers.

The lawsuits, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, claim wrongful death, request a trial by jury and seek unspecified damages.

The lawsuits name American and United airlines; Huntleigh USA Corp., which provides security at Boston's Logan Airport; and Argenbright Security Inc., which operates at Dulles International Airport and Newark Airport.

Those were the three airports where the hijacked planes departed.

By filing the lawsuits, the families forfeit any money from the federal Victims Compensation Fund, which is available only to those families that agree not to sue the airlines or other entities. The average compensation award from the fund is expected to be $1.6 million.

The victims' attorney is former Transportation Department inspector general Mary Schiavo, a vocal critic of government and airline safety policies.

A statement from Schiavo's law firm said the families chose to file a lawsuit instead of going to the fund to "expose years of ineffective security practices, know the truth, improve security and accord accountability.''

The families are identified only by initials "because some fear public and government backlash in exercising their legal rights to hold accountable those whose negligence allowed the terrorists' plot to succeed,'' Schiavo said.

The families had relatives aboard the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center's south tower, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

Schiavo said Boeing, the flight schools that trained the hijackers and the Federal Aviation Administration also may be added to the lawsuits, which are the second related to the Sept. 11 attacks.

The first lawsuit was filed Dec. 20 by Ellen Mariani of Derry, N.H., for the loss of her husband, Louis Mariani, a passenger on the United plane that hit the south tower.

United spokesman Chris Brathwaite and Huntleigh spokeswoman Jessica Neal had no comment on the lawsuit. Phone calls to American Airlines and Argenbright Security were not immediately returned.
<hr></blockquote>

[dallas dude]

Mary is finally showing her true colors. It was only a matter of time!

Good luck to her identifying which illegal articles these hijackers passed through security, just why there were no on board security agents, and, especially how a flight school should have been required to foresee the future and predict their "career progression".

(Shoot, they ought to get out of the flight business and go into the lottery business with that acumen!).

I guess Mary was jealous of all the exposure the SS Agent's cute attorneys received.

Mary's going after the wrong people (again)!

[Hawkeye777]

Mary Schiavo. She who wrote in her autobography, that she considered the 777 unsafe (it had only one computer controlling the autopilot) compared to the Airbus (which had five). Quite where this woman gets her info is bizarre.

[Airbubba]

Yep, Scary Mary has been a lose cannon for years. She caused a pax evacuation at Columbus, Ohio in 1999 when trying to smuggle a "simulated bomb" for a local TV station. Most of us ordinary people would have served hard time for such a costly stunt. Of course, as a "journalist" she was untouchable and the incident never gets mentioned as she is quizzed about her expertise in airport security on CNN.


From <a href="http://www.avweb.com" target="_blank">www.avweb.com</a> :

Stupid PR Tricks
Schiavo Surfaces...

Yes, gentle reader, Mary Schiavo's back. In what AVweb hopes is not a preview of stunts to come, the former DOT inspector general's name has surfaced in connection with an unattended piece of luggage found Friday at the Port Columbus (Ohio) airport. "Someone" checked a bag with her name on it but then didn't show for the flight. Security personnel shut down the America West concourse and a nearby runway for four hours while a thorough search -- including X-rays of the luggage -- was conducted. The X-ray process discovered what appeared to be bomb components but what was instead reported to have been a tape recorder, an alarm clock, a can of hairspray and wiring.

...And Is Named To ASI Board

Columbus, Ohio TV station WCMH said that Schiavo, who resigned her DOT post in 1996 after highly visible disagreements with the FAA over aviation safety, checked the bag as part of a story on airport security the station is doing. The sorry episode comes as airport security has taken major hits in recent weeks, including highly publicized problems at Miami International Airport, among others. In a related development, the Columbus-based Aviation Safety Institute announced last week that "Scary Mary" was elected to its board of directors. Since Congress has proclaimed 1999 the "Year of Aviation," can we expect more from Schiavo? Consider yourself warned.


Here's a CNN account quoting Reuters:

"If the intention was to impede my safety activism they have probably succeeded," Schiavo told Reuters in a telephone interview after learning of the investigation. "They have clipped my wings."

<a href="http://www.cnn.com/US/9903/15/suspicious.bag.01/" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/US/9903/15/suspicious.bag.01/</a>

Another view of this idiotic incident:

<a href="http://www.errtravel.com/archives/19990407.htm" target="_blank">http://www.errtravel.com/archives/19990407.htm</a>

[ 12 January 2002: Message edited by: Airbubba ]</p>

[pigboat]

Yep, she's a caution, that one. I got about half ways through her book, and found it so full of bulls**t I couldn't even finish it.

[Deadleg]

So if we follow this womans "logic" I guess in any case involving the use of a motor vehicle in a homicide or wrongful death/manslaughter we can expect the following parties to be held accountable;the vehicle manufacturer, the driving school, the testing officer and licencing authority.........
I don't think so! Reality check required here Mary!

[Huck]

She also listed the ATR and the EMB-120 as aircraft not to fly. Sure was a comfort to my wife, as I was flying one or the other at the time.

[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: Huck ]</p>

[HugMonster]

If she listed the ATR on the basis of the Roselawn accident, then she has shown herself up as an ignoramus...

Nothing intrinsically wrong with the aircraft at all. Any aircraft will crash if you mistreat it sufficiently.

[ironbutt57]

Well Ms Schiavo definitely had the right idea many years ago, in particular her attempts to "prod" the FAA into action regarding ValueJet during it's rockin'-rollin' early days...full of mishaps...unfortunately, as always, the FAA failed to act until people died..she did tend to come across as an alarmist...(read her book flying blind, flying safe)...she had, and rightfully so a big problem with the FAA's dual mandate of regulating, and promoting aviation...in the end she "quit" in disgust....bit disappointing the lawsuit though.in poor taste for sure..but the airport security in the states is a sham....but on sept 11th, intelligence failed...nothing came onboard the aircraft that wasn't currently permitted...so this should be interesting...let's see how it progresses

[Ignition Override]

Huck and gang: you described her very well. I found her comments about the former Valuejet well-deserved, however, she reveals her ignorance too often, and tarred all US regional airline pilots with one brush.

By the way, one of our FOs was a Captain at Valuejet. This guy only refers to his former employer as "Ghettojet". They never boarded contingency fuel, unless the Captain "requested it".

Too bad that Mary Schiavo only sees the world from her own utopian standards. What a waste of a law degree. How much money will she receive from the lawsuits, no matter what the outcome, or is she working for free?

[ 13 January 2002: Message edited by: Ignition Override ]</p>

[Cyclic Hotline]

I do not know the basis of any contingency or fee for this case.

<a href="http:////www.baumhedlundlaw.com/" target="_blank">Mary's law firm.</a>

I will make absolutely no comment regarding this suit, or the participants until the matter is concluded.

I do however, extend my deepest sympathies to the families of all those who lost family members and friends.

If I might recommend that anyone who reads this thread, read the following link before posting any response to ongoing legal matters, or the personal affairs, of any member of the legal profession.

<a href="http://www.avweb.com/other/wolk_v_avweb/" target="_blank">AvWeb lawsuit</a>

Sometimes writing nothing just makes you feel better.

[XL5]

She did of course coin the phrase 'Tombstone agency' w.r.t the FAA which is certainly on target. Based on the adage of the enemy of my enemy is my friend, she can't,as far as pilots are concerned, be all bad.

[Roc]

After Value-jet, and ever since, the local radio stations invite Mary on to explain all matters concerning aviation safety. Her mouth should be muzzled, as she does a huge disservice to the industry with her half-assed theories and simplistic assumptions. I for one would like to never hear her voice again. Tried reading her book once as well, put it back on the shelf after one chapter!!!It amazes me this woman has any audience. Bob Crandell, American Airlines ex-CEO, called her a liar on a TV talk show recently!!wish I had the tape!!

[aviator]

Do any of you think that we should suggest to Ms. Schiavo that she go after the hijackers?

After all, it makes sense to sue the perpetrators - not the other victims, doesn't it?

Oh wait, maybe this has nothing to do with that...

She would not do this for money and publicity, would she???

[pigboat]

Hugmonster, from her book "Flying Blind, Flying Safe" here's what the lady has to say about the ATR.

"Certain models were notorious for becoming suddenly difficult to control in extremely cold temperatures. Pilots have complained about problems with de-icing the plane's wings. The de-icing boot - a rubber sleeve on the wings that is designed to expand and crack accumulated ice - is not long enough to cover the entire length of the wing. Improvements (making the boot longer) have been required. Presumably, that fixed the problem. Personally, I am going to give ATR operators ample time to test their repairs. Think of ATR as fair weather flying."

Not overly accurate, I think.

[HugMonster]

"Not overly accurate" is the understatement of the week.

Clearly she knows nothing whatsoever about the subject. Perhaps she could make a living as an aviation journalist? :)