Pilot, Manufacturer Named As Plaintiffs

A fatal 2006 plane crash that killed three people, including the treasurer of the Jupiter, FL-based Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), has spurred a lawsuit, and accusations against the plane's pilot and Cirrus Design.

As ANN reported, COPA treasurer Barbara Fornell, her husband Glen, and passenger Mario Alberto Castillo were lost when their SR22 went down off Hutchinson Island, FL, shortly after takeoff from Witham Field in Stuart, FL. Glen Fornell was reportedly at the controls when the plane took off February 4, 2006.

Just after takeoff, Fornell radioed ATC stating he was having instrument problems, and requested a return to Stuart. The plane impacted the ocean shortly after.

In the lawsuit -- filed on behalf of Castillo's estate, wife, and two children -- family members allege Fornell "failed to exercise the required degree of care in securing the safety" of the aircraft.

The suit also names the plane's owner, Aircraft Guaranty Management and Trust in Houston, TX, alleging it failed to ensure the aircraft was safe before takeoff, according to the Treasure Coast Palm.

Cirrus Design is also named in the litigation, for allegedly failing to design the SR22 to be safe to fly in dangerous conditions. Instrument conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and the plane was on an IFR flight plan to St. Augustine, FL.

FMI: Read The NTSB Preliminary Report