Compton, California, January 14, 2009 – – Three people have filed a personal injury lawsuit today against pilot Charles Reece and Eureka International, Inc., the owner of the Cessna that crashed into their home in Compton, California on April 12, 2008.
Regina Hosley-Wright was in her kitchen when the plane crashed through the roof of her house, sending her crashing through the outside wall of her home and onto the neighbor's front lawn where she was buried by rubble. She was seriously injured and her health will remain at risk for the rest of her life.
Regina’s boyfriend, Darryl Irvin, was sitting at the kitchen table and he too, suffered serious injuries. Regina’s daughter was also in the house at the time of the crash but was able to get out on her own. All three victims are still suffering from physical and/or mental injuries.
Los Angeles aviation attorneys for the family, the national aviation disaster law firm of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman, are seeking an unspecified amount of damages against the pilot and owner of the Cessna, which appears to be a real estate holdings company. Aviation attorney and pilot, John Greaves, stated, “My clients want accountability. Planes aren’t supposed to crash into houses. This pilot and company need to take care of the people injured on the ground.”
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Cessna 310Q experienced a loss of engine power on the final approach to Compton Airport. During the forced landing, the airplane descended into residential homes about a half-mile east of the airport. The commercial certificated pilot and passenger were injured.
A Los Angeles County deputy sheriff reported that he observed and heard the airplane’s engine rev up during the approach. The NTSB has yet to issue a probable cause report on the cause of this crash.
The Cessna had taken off from the Hawthorne Airport and flown to Montgomery Field in San Diego. According to officials, the plane was headed back to Hawthorne when the pilot tried to make an emergency landing at Compton Airport.
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles, South Central District, Compton Branch. The case number is TC 022 735.
Anyone seeking legal representation should Contact the aviation disaster attorneys at Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman, or call 800-827-0087 or 310-207-3233 for a free consultation.
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman has devoted its practice to victims of aviation accidents for over 20 years. They have handled over 500 commercial and general aviation accidents across the United States and abroad. Two of their aviation attorneys are also pilots; including a former airline captain. The firm has improved aviation safety through key litigation wins in which they brought about changes in aviation case law. They are also the law firm that acquired an unprecedented official public apology by a commercial airline for a fatal crash, as a result of a hard-fought legal battle regarding the crash of Air Midwest Flight 5481 in Charlotte, NC.
