Representative Aviation Matters

Since 1968, Katzman, Lampert & Stoll has represented individuals and families in aviation accident litigation arising from commercial airline disasters, private and corporate aircraft crashes, helicopter and rotorcraft incidents, military and government contractor aviation matters, and aircraft product liability proceedings. The firm’s work has involved cases in state and federal courts across the United States, including multidistrict litigation proceedings, federal appellate matters, and coordinated multi-party actions requiring sustained engagement with aviation engineers, accident reconstruction specialists, and regulatory experts.

Commercial Airline Disaster Litigation

The firm has served as counsel for passengers and families in litigation arising from commercial airline disasters spanning more than three decades. These matters have involved transport-category aircraft operated by domestic and international carriers, and have required detailed analysis of aircraft systems, crew performance, air traffic control procedures, airport operations, certification standards, and the interaction between National Transportation Safety Board investigations and civil litigation.

Northwest Airlines Flight 255 (Detroit, 1987)

Litigation arising from the crash of a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 during takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16, 1987. The crash killed 154 of 155 persons aboard and two persons on the ground. The NTSB attributed the probable cause to the flight crew’s failure to use the taxi checklist to ensure the flaps and slats were extended for takeoff, compounded by the absence of electrical power to the airplane takeoff warning system. The firm represented multiple families in proceedings against the airline, the airport operator, and the federal government in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Continental Airlines Flight 1713 (Denver, 1987)

Litigation arising from the crash of a Douglas DC-9-14 during takeoff from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, on November 15, 1987. The crash killed 28 of 82 persons aboard. The NTSB investigation addressed ground deicing procedures, wing contamination, and operational decision-making in winter conditions. The firm represented passenger families in proceedings in the District of Colorado.

Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie, 1988)

Litigation arising from the destruction of a Boeing 747-121 over Lockerbie, Scotland, on December 21, 1988, killing all 259 persons aboard and 11 persons on the ground. The firm represented passenger families in product-liability and airline-liability proceedings filed in the Eastern District of Michigan.

United Airlines Flight 232 (DC-10 Engine Failure Litigation)

Litigation arising from the catastrophic failure of a General Electric CF6-6 engine on a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 near Sioux City, Iowa, on July 19, 1989, killing 112 of 296 persons aboard. The firm pursued claims on three parallel fronts: airline-liability proceedings at the crash site in the Southern District of Iowa, aircraft manufacturer product-liability proceedings against McDonnell Douglas in the District of Colorado, and claims against flight simulator and training-device manufacturers addressing the adequacy of crew emergency training, filed in the Southern District of Florida and subsequently refiled in the District of Colorado.

United Airlines Flight 585 (Boeing 737 Rudder System Litigation)

Litigation arising from the crash of a Boeing 737-200 near Colorado Springs, Colorado, on March 3, 1991, killing all 25 persons aboard. The matter involved examination of the aircraft’s rudder power control unit and alleged uncommanded rudder deflection. The firm represented multiple families in the named consolidated proceeding and individual actions in the District of Colorado, requiring detailed analysis of transport-category flight control systems, certification standards, and hydraulic component behavior.

USAir Flight 427 (Boeing 737 Rudder System Litigation)

Proceedings arising from the crash of a Boeing 737-300 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 8, 1994, killing all 132 persons aboard. The litigation involved technical evaluation of servo valve performance, rudder system dynamics, and aircraft controllability. The firm represented families in the Western District of Pennsylvania and related proceedings. United Airlines Flight 585 and USAir Flight 427 shared the same underlying aircraft defect theory — uncommanded rudder reversal in the Boeing 737 — and the firm’s involvement in both matters provided sustained engagement with this transport-category flight control issue across a decade of litigation.

American Eagle Flight 4184 (Roselawn, Indiana, 1994)

Multidistrict litigation arising from the crash of an ATR 72-212 near Roselawn, Indiana, on October 31, 1994, killing all 68 persons aboard. The NTSB attributed the probable cause to a loss of control resulting from ice accretion on the wings. The firm served as counsel for plaintiffs in the consolidated proceeding in the Northern District of Illinois. In re Air Crash Disaster Near Roselawn, Ind., 909 F. Supp. 1116 (N.D. Ill. 1995).

TWA Flight 800 (Boeing 747 Fuel Tank Explosion Litigation)

Coordinated litigation arising from the explosion and crash of a Boeing 747-131 off Long Island, New York, on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 persons aboard. The firm served as counsel in the named multidistrict litigation in the Southern District of New York and pursued claims against the airline in the Eastern District of Missouri, against Boeing in the Southern District of New York, and against Hydro-Aire, Inc. (a fuel system component manufacturer) in both the Southern District of New York and the Central District of California. The matter involved center wing fuel tank ignition analysis, integration of NTSB findings, and federal appellate interpretation of the Death on the High Seas Act.

Comair Flight 3272 (Monroe, Michigan, 1997)

Multidistrict litigation arising from the crash of an Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia near Monroe, Michigan, on January 9, 1997, killing all 29 persons aboard. The NTSB attributed the probable cause to ice accumulation on the wings and the flight crew’s failure to activate the deicing system. The firm served as counsel in the named MDL and individual product-liability proceedings against Embraer in the Eastern District of Michigan. In re Air Crash at Monroe, Michigan, E.D. Mich., MDL No. 1178.

Korean Air Flight 801 (Guam, 1997)

Litigation arising from the crash of a Boeing 747-300 on approach to A.B. Won Pat International Airport in Guam on August 6, 1997, killing 228 of 254 persons aboard. The firm represented multiple families in proceedings filed through the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, the Central District of California, and the District of Guam, in claims against the airline and airport services providers.

American Airlines Flight 587 (Belle Harbor, New York, 2001)

Multidistrict litigation arising from the crash of an Airbus A300-605R shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport on November 12, 2001, killing all 260 persons aboard and five persons on the ground. The NTSB attributed the probable cause to the first officer’s excessive rudder pedal inputs and the resulting separation of the vertical stabilizer. The firm represented families in the named MDL in the Southern District of New York, a proceeding that spanned from 2002 to 2019. In re Air Crash at Belle Harbor, New York on November 12, 2001, S.D.N.Y., MDL No. 1448.

Comair Flight 5191 (Lexington, Kentucky, 2006)

Litigation arising from the crash of a Bombardier CRJ-100ER during takeoff from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, on August 27, 2006, killing 49 of 50 persons aboard. The NTSB determined that the flight crew attempted takeoff from the wrong runway. The firm represented families in the named multidistrict litigation and individual proceedings against the airline, the surviving flight crew member, and the federal government in the Eastern District of Kentucky. In re Air Crash at Lexington, Kentucky, August 27, 2006, E.D. Ky.

Continental Airlines Flight 1404 (Denver, 2008)

Litigation arising from the runway departure of a Boeing 737-524 at Denver International Airport on December 20, 2008, which resulted in injuries to passengers and crew. The NTSB investigation addressed crosswind conditions, rudder and nosewheel steering inputs, and captain decision-making. The firm represented crew members and passengers in proceedings against both the airline and Boeing in the District of Colorado.

American Airlines Flight 331 (Kingston, Jamaica, 2009)

Litigation arising from the runway overrun of a Boeing 737-823 at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, on December 22, 2009. The aircraft overran the runway, crossed a road, and came to rest on a beach. The firm represented passengers in proceedings in the Southern District of Florida. In re American Airlines Flight 331, S.D. Fla.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 (Philadelphia, 2018)

Litigation arising from the in-flight failure of a CFM International CFM56-7B engine on a Boeing 737-7H4 on April 17, 2018. The engine failure resulted in cabin depressurization and one passenger fatality. The NTSB attributed the probable cause to a low-cycle fatigue crack in a fan blade. The firm represented passengers in proceedings in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 (Boeing 737 MAX Litigation)

Multidistrict litigation arising from the crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019, killing all 157 persons aboard. The litigation addressed the design and certification of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) and Boeing’s disclosures to operators and regulators. Boeing stipulated to liability. The firm serves as counsel for plaintiffs in the consolidated proceeding in the Northern District of Illinois. In re Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 Crash, 675 F. Supp. 3d 879 (N.D. Ill. 2023).

Miami Air International Flight 293 (Jacksonville, Florida, 2019)

Litigation arising from the runway overrun of a Boeing 737-81Q operating as a charter flight at Naval Air Station Jacksonville on May 3, 2019. The aircraft slid off the end of the runway into the St. Johns River. The firm represented passengers in proceedings in the Southern District of Florida.

Aviation Product Liability Litigation

A substantial portion of the firm’s practice involves product liability claims against aircraft and component manufacturers. These matters arise from both commercial airline disasters and general aviation crashes, and frequently require analysis of aircraft design, manufacturing processes, component certification, maintenance and inspection requirements, and compliance with federal aviation regulations.

The firm has pursued product-liability proceedings against airframe manufacturers including Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Embraer, Bombardier, Piper, Cessna, Beechcraft, Learjet, and Aerospatiale, as well as engine and component manufacturers including General Electric, Rolls-Royce, Textron Lycoming, Continental Motors, Precision Airmotive, Hartzell Propeller, Honeywell, Parker Hannifin, and Garmin, among others.

Estate of Brokaw v. National Air Cargo, Inc. (National Airlines Flight 102)

Jury trial litigation arising from the crash of a Boeing 747-428BCF military cargo aircraft at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, on April 29, 2013, killing all seven crew members aboard. The litigation addressed load restraint, operational oversight, and regulatory compliance. The matter involved proceedings in the Northern District of Illinois and subsequent state court trial. Brokaw v. Boeing Co., 137 F. Supp. 3d 1082 (N.D. Ill. 2015).

Sikkelee v. Precision Airmotive Corp. (Federal Preemption in Aviation Product Liability)

Product-liability litigation arising from the crash of a general aviation aircraft attributed to carburetor malfunction. The matter generated a significant appellate decision addressing the scope of federal preemption under the Federal Aviation Act in aviation product liability cases. Sikkelee v. Precision Airmotive Corp., 822 F.3d 680 (3d Cir. 2016); 268 F. Supp. 3d 660 (M.D. Pa. 2017). A broader discussion of the preemption issues in this case appears at Federal Preemption in Aviation Product Liability.

Cessna 208 Series Aircraft Products Liability Litigation

Named multidistrict product-liability litigation addressing design and performance issues in the Cessna 208 Caravan series. The proceedings were consolidated in the District of Kansas. In re Cessna 208 Series Aircraft Products Liability Litigation, D. Kan., MDL No. 1721.

Day v. SkyWest Airlines (Defeating ADA Preemption)

Appellate litigation in which the firm obtained reversal of a district court dismissal, defeating the airline’s Airlines Deregulation Act preemption defense. Day v. SkyWest Airlines, 10th Cir., No. 20-4129 (2022).

Helicopter & Rotorcraft Litigation

The firm has represented individuals and families in rotorcraft matters involving civilian and military helicopter operations. These proceedings have included product-liability claims against manufacturers such as Aerospatiale (now Airbus Helicopters), AgustaWestland (now Leonardo), and Bell Helicopter (Textron), as well as claims against helicopter tour operators, charter services, and government contractors. Rotorcraft litigation frequently requires coordination with aviation engineers and detailed technical analysis of rotary-wing aircraft systems, autorotation performance, and maintenance compliance.

Military & Government Contractor Aviation Litigation

The firm has handled matters involving military aviation and government contractor operations, including claims against military aviation contractors such as DynCorp International and proceedings against the federal government under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The firm’s work in this area has also included direct litigation against the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board concerning investigative access and regulatory issues. These cases require examination of certification standards, procurement specifications, government contractor defenses, and the interaction between federal law and civil litigation.

Appellate Aviation Litigation

Several of the firm’s matters have produced published appellate decisions addressing significant issues in aviation law, including the scope of federal preemption under the Federal Aviation Act, the applicability of the General Aviation Revitalization Act statute of repose, the interaction between the Airlines Deregulation Act and state tort claims, the Death on the High Seas Act’s application to territorial waters, and removal jurisdiction in aviation disaster cases. Published opinions from the firm’s matters appear in the Third Circuit, the Tenth Circuit, the Second Circuit, and the Sixth Circuit, among other courts.

Sourcing and Citation Policy

The case summaries on this page are based on publicly available information, including published judicial opinions, National Transportation Safety Board reports and determinations, and public court records. Where a specific incident is described, the summary relies on formally released investigative findings. Case citations refer to published federal reporter opinions where available. This page is not exhaustive of all matters handled by the firm. Each case turns on its own facts, governing law, and evidentiary record. The summaries describe the general nature of the litigation and are not legal advice.