The Buffalo News reported today that Colgan Air says the probable cause of February’s fatal crash in Clarence Center that claimed 50 lives was the pilots’ “loss of situational awareness and failure to follow Colgan Air training and procedures, which led to a loss of control of the aircraft.” The regional airline company, in a 66-page report to the National Transportation Safety Board, also cited as contributing to the crash the lack of low-speed warnings in the cockpit instrument panel on the Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprop. It was also reported that the pilots union said a combination of factors caused the crash. The union cited Colgan for failing to adequately prepare the pilots for the conditions that faced them Feb. 12, when the aircraft went into an aerodynamic stall and spun out of control. The two reports were submitted Dec. 7 as the board continues to investigate the cause of the turboprop crash.
Supreme Court Petitioned to Allow Suits by Active Military Personnel
August 31, 2009
A recent AAJ article reports that a petition is pending requesting that the Supreme Court allow active duty military personnel to sue the government. Petty Officer Nathan Hafterson died on March 26, 2006, at Naval Hospital Jacksonville after being admitted for trouble breathing.