Murray v. Massey-Ferguson, Inc.

619 F. Supp. 13, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17714
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Michigan
DecidedApril 11, 1984
DocketNos. MDL-505, 80-74787 and 81-74854
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 619 F. Supp. 13 (Murray v. Massey-Ferguson, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Michigan primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Murray v. Massey-Ferguson, Inc., 619 F. Supp. 13, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17714 (E.D. Mich. 1984).

Opinion

OPINION

FEIKENS, Chief Judge.

A Learjet plane crashed at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on January 19, 1979. William A. Murray, a passenger, was killed and his estate brings this action. Pursuant to a funding agreement, the three parties remaining in this case1 paid $1,750,000 to the plaintiff in settlement of potential liability. They entered into a memorandum of settlement which permits each party to claim that it is entitled to contribution or indemnity from the other two, and each seeks reimbursement for funds paid to the plaintiff. My duty under the Federal Tort Claims Act (F.T.C.A.) is to decide the liability of the United States. For reasons stated herein, I hold that the United States is not liable for this accident, and is entitled to be reimbursed for funds paid to plaintiff. Heretofore in a jury verdict, the liability of Gates was determined to be 20%, and that of M.F./Management Jets International, 80%.

I. INTRODUCTION

The Learjet N137GL crashed while attempting to land on Runway 9 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport at approximately 7:30 p.m. on January 19, 1979. The flight originated in Des Moines, Iowa, and was destined for Toronto, Canada, with stops scheduled in South Bend and Detroit. After one passenger deplaned in South Bend, the N137GL departed for Detroit. For reasons which are in dispute, the aircraft crashed while attempting to land on Runway 9. Both crew members and all four passengers were killed.

The plane, which was manufactured by Gates, was a Learjet Model 25D, with a Century III wing. The crew of N137GL, Allan Hogue and Craig Barrows, (pilot in command and co-pilot, respectively) were employees of M.F. Management Jets International owned the airplane. On the night of the accident, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provided air traffic control services at Detroit Metropolitan Airport; specifically, Jack DeWolf was working the control position designated “local control.”

Gates, it is claimed, negligently designed the Model 25D aircraft, and breached an implied warranty of its fitness. The pilots, and M.F./Management Jets International through principles of respondeat superior, it is claimed, negligently operated the aircraft. Finally, the United States, it is claimed, negligently provided air traffic control services to the N137GL. This case determines the relative fault,2 if any, of the parties, and the allocations of liability will fix the obligations of the parties with respect to the settlement amount paid to the Murray Estate. This opinion must be read against the background of jury verdicts already entered against Gates and M.F./Management Jets International.

II. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

The N137GL crossed the threshold of Runway 9 in wings level flight. It appeared to have been landing long, as it was seen airborne several hundred feet past the usual point on the runway that Learjets touch down. Some distance down the runway, the wings on the Learjet began to oscillate; at least two full oscillations were observed. The National Transportation Safety Board accident report shows that the right tip tank struck the runway, and [15]*15the fatal cartwheel followed shortly thereafter.

The N137GL crashed because of aerodynamic stall.3 A Learjet Model 25D with a Century III wing modification in a landing configuration (landing gear down and flaps down 40°) will stall at approximately 87 knots. This stall speed, however, assumes a “clean” wing. Flight tests indicate that even a small amount of a foreign material such as ice on the leading edge of the wing could disrupt the air flow over the wing and increase the speed at which the aircraft stalls.

Because the Learjet Model 23 (predecessor of the 25D) did not comply with FAA regulations requiring an airplane to give the pilot adequate warning of an impending stall, the Model 23 and 25D were equipped with an artificial stall warning and stall prevention system. The stall warning system was a stick shaker which warns the pilot of a stall by shaking the control column.4 The stall prevention system was a stick pusher, which was designed to prevent a stall by pushing forward on the control column. This forces the nose of the aircraft down, decreases the angle of attack, and averts a stall.5

The N137GL encountered typical Michigan winter weather on the night of the accident. The temperature at Detroit Metro Airport was twenty degrees (20°) Fahrenheit. The cloud layer was less than 4,000 feet, with a ceiling of 2,200 feet above the ground. There may have been patches of light freezing drizzle below the clouds, although no precipitation was recorded on the ground until a few minutes after the crash. The winds were gusty at 10-15 knots. The visibility was good at 10-12 miles, and Visual Flight Rules (VFR) were in effect.

Due to the wind direction this night, all flights took off from and landed on Runway 9. A North Central 704 plane landed ahead of the N137GL, and a Delta 616 plane was scheduled to land immediately after the Learjet. A Delta 713 plane was cleared to takeoff after the North Central 704 plane landed and before the N137GL touched down.

When both departing and arriving aircraft use the same runway, as on the night of the accident, the air traffic controller has the duty to assure adequate spacing between aircraft. In this case, the FAA Air Traffic Control Manual (1979) § 12 requires a departing DC-9 to be 6,000 feet down the runway and airborne before an arriving Learjet crosses the runway threshold. DeWolf testified that he was using a visual separation standard. That is, he said that a minimum separation of 6,000 feet had been achieved when the departing plane reached a set of lights near the intersection of Runways 9 and 3R6 before the landing aircraft crossed the runway threshold.

III. DISCUSSION

A. Who is the Factfinder

As a threshold matter, I must consider who the factfinder is for the various claims brought in this lawsuit. The posture in which this case arises presents a somewhat novel question: which claims require a jury determination, and which require a court determination. As the three parties to this case have settled the demands of the original plaintiff, what remains before me are the cross-claims for contribution and indemnity which each par[16]*16ty brings against the other two. To settle these cross-claims, the relative fault of each party, if any, must be allocated. The private litigants, Gates and M.F./Management Jets, have demanded a trial by jury to determine their allocation of fault, if any, as is their right under the Seventh Amendment.

Since the United States cannot be sued without its consent, United States v. Sherwood, 312 U.S. 584 (1941), the cross-claims which Gates and M.F./Management Jets bring against the United States arise under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. §§ 2671-80 (jurisdiction conferred 28 U.S.C. § 1346). Section 2402 of the United States Code requires a trial by the court without a jury for any action brought under 28 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
619 F. Supp. 13, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17714, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/murray-v-massey-ferguson-inc-mied-1984.