The family of Len Root, who was one of six people killed last year when two World War II planes collided in midair in front of a packed Texas crowd, is suing the organizers of the Wings Over Dallas Air Show.
“Ms. Root saw what happened and she’s not doing very well,” Kevin Koudelka, who represents the family, told FOX 4 Dallas-Ft. Valer.
“We need the lawsuit to clarify what happened and who is responsible for it. The second part is who is responsible? What happened? Who is wrong? And why did this happen? And hold them accountable.”
Root, 66, was inside a B-17 bomber with four other crew members when it collided with a P-63 fighter jet last November, killing everyone on both planes.
Root was a retired American Airlines pilot who earned his pilot’s license when he was 16 years old.
The organizers of the air show, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF), are among the defendants in the lawsuit, along with the owners of the planes, according to FOX 4.
The lawsuit alleges negligence, especially on the part of the air marshal, whom Koudelka referred to as the “play-calling quarterback for the event.”
A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and a Bell P-63 Kingcobra collide in the air during an airshow at Dallas Executive Airport in Dallas, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022. AP
Root was inside a B-17 bomber with four other crew members when it collided with a P-63 fighter jet last November.
He added that they believe he was hired by the CAF.
Koudelka added: “Our investigation thus far and the NTSB’s preliminary report [National Transportation Safety Board] “In short, the planes should not have been close to each other.”
The air chief gave the pilots the go-ahead seconds before the crash, audio recordings released by the FAA earlier this year revealed, according to FOX 4.
CAF told Fox News Digital in a statement: “We are aware of the lawsuit filed against Memorial Air Force on August 31 by the family of one of our members who was tragically killed in the crash at the Wings Over Dallas Airshow in November 2022. “Our attorneys are investigating the petition and will respond through appropriate channels.”
Len Root earned his pilot’s license at age 16 and worked as a pilot for American Airlines for a decade before he died last year. Commemorative Air Force
Remains of two planes that crashed during an air show at Dallas Executive Airport lie on the ground Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.AP
Along with Root, the others killed were Terry Baker, Curt Rowe, Kevin Michels, Dan Ragan and Craig Hutain.
Several videos posted on social media showed the fighter jet appearing to fly towards the bomber, causing it to rapidly crash to the ground and unleash a large ball of fire and smoke.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB are investigating the cause of the collision, and a final determination of the accident could take several more months.
While the preliminary report did not provide the cause of the crash, it noted that there was no altitude counseling plan for pilots before the show.
“It’s a lawsuit to find out who made the mistake and hold them accountable because we know that Mr. Root, the pilot, did not make the mistake,” Koudelka added.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn