Husband of Nigeria air crash victim sues Boeing

Monday, 11 June 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: The husband of a woman killed in last Sunday’s plane crash in Nigeria is suing the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing, and engine maker United Technologies, saying her death was caused by a “dangerous and defective” aircraft.

David Chukwunonso Allison, who lives in Lagos, is also suing the estate of the American pilot, Peter Waxtan, according to the lawsuit filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

Allison’s wife, Joy, was among the 153 people on board who died in the crash in Lagos, Nigeria’s worst in two decades. Waxtan was also killed.

The Boeing McDonnell Douglas MD-83, operated by privately owned domestic airline Dana Air, hit an apartment block as it was coming in to land in Lagos on Sunday, killing all on board and probably six people on the ground.

Dana and Nigerian Aviation Minister Stella Oduah have said the pilot radioed a distress signal to report engine failure minutes before the airliner crashed.

“There was a mayday call for engine failure at 1442 hours (1342 GMT). We don’t know if it was one or two,” Oscar Wilson, Dana’s director of flight operations told a news conference on Thursday. He said all the planes used by Dana have been tested to ensure they can fly on just one engine, in accordance with international norms.

The lawsuit said that “As a direct ... result of defendants’ design, manufacture, sale, shipment, distribution, maintenance, service, operation, ownership, leasing, and transfer of the subject aircraft and its component parts in a dangerous and defective condition ... Joy Chiedozie Allison was killed.” It blamed the pilot for failing to “properly execute landing of the subject aircraft”, which it said was the result of “negligence and carelessness.” Boeing spokesman Doug Alder Jr. said it was standard practice for the company not to comment on pending litigation.