The ANN and Aero-TV crews are now readying to cover the
very First Annual Cirrus owner's and Pilot's Association
'Migration' that will not be held in Cirrus' home town of Duluth,
MN. This time, the event is to be held in the historic environment
of Dayton, OH... with all the 'Wright' overtones adding to what
appears to be a great year for the annual gathering. ANN is teaming
with the COPA team to produce quite a bit of coverage of this
event, and will also be hosting LIVE Aero-TV streaming Friday and
Saturday of a number of the pivotal events, speeches and meetings.
Please enjoy a look back at recent Cirrus coverage while the
ANN/Aero-TV crew works its magic in Dayton, where we have some
GREAT things in store for you in the coming days!
In the 1980s, the general aviation industry was brought to its
knees by an explosion of product liability lawsuits. Industry
representatives estimated that the cost of litigation added $70,000
to each new aircraft; the financial blow resulted in widespread
plant closures and bankruptcy. GAMA reported a staggering
decrease in single-engine piston aircraft production from 13,286
aircraft in 1978 to a mere 1,833 aircraft in 1983.
The dramatic decrease resulted in an employment drop of
sixty-five percent. With general aviation on the verge of
extinction, industry leaders successfully lobbied for the General
Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. The law implemented a
statue of repose, limiting manufacturer liability exposure to 18
years. Though it was a crucial step in reform, leading to the
revitalization of general aviation in the 1990s, significant
problems continue.
The financial burden of liability insurance premiums raised
twice the rate of inflation in recent years, and the threat of
litigation remains an ever-present problem for G.A.
manufacturers. In order to sue, a plaintiff must prove two
things. First, they must prove that a company was negligent
due to design defect, manufacturing defect, or a failure to warn
(by not providing adequate instructions or specific warnings of
danger).
In other words, litigants can still seek damages against a
manufacturer despite a company’s product passing rigorous FAA
certification. Second, a plaintiff must prove that said
negligence led to a crash. Although it is reported that
roughly three quarters of all aircraft accidents are classified as
pilot-caused, NTSB findings remain inadmissible in civil court,
rendering manufacturers unable to appropriately defend themselves
against such claims.
It is no wonder, then, that in the current economic crisis that
aviation faces, industry leaders are once again pushing product
liability reform to the forefront. The continued financial
burden of insurance premiums and litigation places a stranglehold
on company growth and development.
Join Aero-TV as we speak with Cirrus
CEO Brent Wouters about how product liability affects his company,
and why reform is more crucial now than ever.
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