Greenwood Mid-air Collision

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As the pilot of a twin engined Mitsubishi MU-2 took off from Greenwood, IN, airport, he turned directly into the path of a another aircraft preparing to land. The resulting collision killed all five on the MU-2 and one of the three on the other aircraft, a Piper Saratoga. The MU-2 passengers were all Indianapolis civic leaders on their way to see an exhibition in Columbus, Ohio. The two survivors in the Piper were very badly burned, one requiring months of hospitalization. We represented that victim, and the widow of one of the passengers in the MU-2. Our investigations determined the pilot of the MU-2 turned to the right as he left the ground, which was a failure to follow the Airman’s Information Manual’s recommended procedures. However, we also determined that the air traffic controller who had cleared the MU-2 for take-off, and who had just released the piper for landing, was not properly monitoring his radar scope and did not warn either pilot of traffic in their immediate areas. The cases were successfully settled following mediation with a retired federal judge.

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