FlightSafety International (FSI) on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support and more than a dozen other companies over the Oct. 30, 2014 crash of a King Air B200 at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport that destroyed an FSI building there. The aircraft, N52SZ, lost power from the left engine on takeoff and crashed into the FSI building, killing the pilot and three others and injuring six more.
The NTSB cited the pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control of the airplane after the left engine lost power and his application of inappropriate rudder input. The Safety Board also cited as a contributor the loss of power that occurred for undetermined reasons.
FSI filed the lawsuit just before the two-year anniversary of the crash and the filing deadline in liability cases. FSI—which listed numerous companies involved with the manufacture and support of the aircraft, among others—cited negligence, “strict liability” and “implied breach of warranty of merchantability.” Textron Aviation, whose companies are among the main defendants, is not commenting on the lawsuit.
In addition to destroying its building, the accident damaged multiple simulators and other equipment and FSI's ability to provide training services “was severely disrupted.” The company is seeking to recover “market value damages, replacement value damages, cost of repair damages, loss of use damages, lost profit damages and other consequential and incidental damages.” FSI did not specify an amount.