HARTFORD, Conn — The children of the pilot killed in the crash of a private jet that crashed in September 2021 are suing the plane's owner/operator and manufacturer, saying that the design of the plane was the cause of the crash.
The crash on September 2, 2021, killed four people, and the National Transportation and Safety Board determined the plane was going slower than usual as it took off because the pilot had left a parking brake on.
The failure to release the brake was the probable cause of the accident, according to the report from the National Transportation Safety Board, which also said a lack of equipment on the jet to notify the pilots of such a problem contributed to the crash.
The twin-engine Cessna 560XL was to have flown from Robertson Airport in Plainville to Dare County Regional Airport in Manteo, North Carolina, on Sept. 2, 2021. But it crashed into a manufacturing building shortly after takeoff and burst into flames.
A husband and wife who were both doctors, Courtney Haviland, 33, and William Shrauner, 32, of Boston, were killed along with the two pilots, William O’Leary, 55, of Bristol, and Mark Morrow, 57, of Danbury.
Four people on the ground were injured, including one who was seriously hurt. Haviland and Shrauner left behind a toddler, and Haviland was pregnant, according to relatives.
O'Leary's children, Jake and Julia, said in the lawsuit that the design of the parking brake made it difficult to determine if it was engaged. In addition, there was no warning light or device to indicate it was still engaged. They said a series of similar crashes are believed to have the same proximate cause. Further, the suit said the preflight checklist was not clear.
The suit said in other countries, a warning light or sound is required.
The suit names Textron Aviation, the plane's manufacturer, Interstate Aviation and Brook Haven Properties, the plane's operator and owner.
The suit is asking for an award of a minimum of $15,000.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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