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Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Flight attendant claims Delta crash caused by underqualified pilot
A flight attendant on board a Delta plane that crash-landed in Canada and flipped upside down claims an inexperienced pilot is to blame for the incident in a bombshell new lawsuit. Vanessa Miles, 67, who worked for Delta's regional subsidiary Endeavor Air as a flight attendant, was traveling as a passenger on the regional aircraft to her next assignment when it crashed on February 17. Endeavor Flight 4819 a crash-landed in Toronto from Minneapolis and burst into flames after flipping over and skidding on the tarmac. Dozens were hospitalized but miraculously all 76 passengers and four crew members survived the horrific crash. Now a lawsuit filed against both Delta Air Lines and Endeavor in federal court in Michigan on Monday claims the fiery crash was caused by, 'an inexperienced and inadequately trained pilot'. Miles is seeking $75 million in damages for the injuries she allegedly suffered from the crash while 'deadheading,' meaning she was traveling as a passenger and not allowed to perform any work duties. The flight attendant was left unconscious and dangling upside down by her seatbelt following the crash, the filing states. Miles accused the airlines of a 'reckless disregard for passenger safety', in the lawsuit, asserting that the, 'accident was caused, at least in part, by [the airlines] knowingly assigning an inexperienced and inadequately trained pilot to operate the flight'. The airlines, 'cut corners on safety by rushing pilots through training programs and knowingly putting passengers at risk with inexperienced flight crew', the lawsuit states. Delta declined to comment on the pending litigation, but directed the Daily Mail to their previous statements on the Endeavor Air 4819 flight crew, insisting they are qualified and adequately trained . The unidentified captain of the plane had worked for Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta, for 18 years. He has flown a total of 3,570 hours across his career and is also a training instructor. On the day of the crash, he was coming onto his first shift of the week. It was also the first flight of the day. His co-pilot, who has also not been identified, had worked with Endeavor for just over a year and had flown an estimated 1,422 hours across the span of her career. The co-pilot was on her final shift of the week. Both the captain and first officer are 'qualified and FAA certified for their positions'. Miles claimed she suffered a fractured left shoulder/scapula, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, post-concussion syndrome with headaches, dizziness, and other cognitive difficulties, bilateral knee injuries, back injuries, exposure to jet fuel and toxic fumes, and psychological trauma including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The court document claims to provide detail on her terrifying experience during the crash. '[Miles] was rendered temporarily unconscious while hanging upside down from her seatbelt in the inverted aircraft,' the filing said. 'Upon regaining consciousness, she found herself soaked in jet fuel and surrounded by smoke, putting her at grave risk for chemical burns, asphyxiation, and death.' Miles fell approximately six to seven feet to the ground during the evacuation because the emergency slides had not deployed, further aggravating her injuries, the complaint states. She said the plane exploded two minutes after she exited the aircraft, but claims she was forced to stand outside in the frigid weather for one hour before she was taken to the hospital, per the filing. The Daily Mail contacted Miles' attorneys for comment. In March, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada released a preliminary report detailing the current 'focus areas' of the investigation, but the information that has been garnered so far. Landing techniques offered in pilot training, as well as training for flight attendants are being probed, along with the landing gear and wing structure. Authorities are also examining cabin obstructions and impediments once inverted, as well as 'coordination in emergencies' and 'organizational and management factors.'
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Delta plane crash was caused by UNDERQUALIFIED pilot being allowed to fly jet, flight attendant claims
A flight attendant on board a Delta plane that crash-landed in Canada and flipped upside down claims an inexperienced pilot is to blame for the incident in a bombshell new lawsuit. Vanessa Miles, 67, who worked for Delta's regional subsidiary Endeavor Air as a flight attendant, was traveling as a passenger on the regional aircraft to her next assignment when it crashed on February 17. Endeavor Flight 4819 a crash-landed in Toronto from Minneapolis and burst into flames after flipping over and skidding on the tarmac. Dozens were hospitalized but miraculously all 76 passengers and four crew members survived the horrific crash. Now a lawsuit filed against both Delta Air Lines and Endeavor in federal court in Michigan on Monday claims the fiery crash was caused by, 'an inexperienced and inadequately trained pilot'. Miles is seeking $75 million in damages for the injuries she allegedly suffered from the crash while 'deadheading,' meaning she was traveling as a passenger and not allowed to perform any work duties. The flight attendant was left unconscious and dangling upside down by her seatbelt following the crash, the filing states. Miles accused the airlines of a 'reckless disregard for passenger safety', in the lawsuit, asserting that the, 'accident was caused, at least in part, by [the airlines] knowingly assigning an inexperienced and inadequately trained pilot to operate the flight'. The airlines, 'cut corners on safety by rushing pilots through training programs and knowingly putting passengers at risk with inexperienced flight crew', the lawsuit states. Delta declined to comment on the pending litigation, but directed the Daily Mail to their previous statements on the Endeavor Air 4819 flight crew, insisting they are qualified and adequately trained. The unidentified captain of the plane had worked for Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta, for 18 years. He has flown a total of 3,570 hours across his career and is also a training instructor. On the day of the crash, he was coming onto his first shift of the week. It was also the first flight of the day. His co-pilot, who has also not been identified, had worked with Endeavor for just over a year and had flown an estimated 1,422 hours across the span of her career. The co-pilot was on her final shift of the week. Both the captain and first officer are 'qualified and FAA certified for their positions'. Miles claimed she suffered a fractured left shoulder/scapula, traumatic brain injury with loss of consciousness, post-concussion syndrome with headaches, dizziness, and other cognitive difficulties, bilateral knee injuries, back injuries, exposure to jet fuel and toxic fumes, and psychological trauma including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The court document claims to provide detail on her terrifying experience during the crash. '[Miles] was rendered temporarily unconscious while hanging upside down from her seatbelt in the inverted aircraft,' the filing said. 'Upon regaining consciousness, she found herself soaked in jet fuel and surrounded by smoke, putting her at grave risk for chemical burns, asphyxiation, and death.' Miles fell approximately six to seven feet to the ground during the evacuation because the emergency slides had not deployed, further aggravating her injuries, the complaint states. She said the plane exploded two minutes after she exited the aircraft, but claims she was forced to stand outside in the frigid weather for one hour before she was taken to the hospital, per the filing. The Daily Mail contacted Miles' attorneys for comment. In March, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada released a preliminary report detailing the current 'focus areas' of the investigation, but the information that has been garnered so far. Landing techniques offered in pilot training, as well as training for flight attendants are being probed, along with the landing gear and wing structure. Authorities are also examining cabin obstructions and impediments once inverted, as well as 'coordination in emergencies' and 'organizational and management factors.' The report determined that the plane suffered a right-side landing gear collapse as it made contact with the runway, as challenging wind gusts hampered efforts to land. When contacted on Friday, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada did not have an update on the ongoing investigation.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Investigators to wrap up public hearings into fatal midair crash between Army chopper and airplane
The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday enters its third and final day of public testimony over the fatal midair crash between an Army helicopter and commercial jet in January. Two previous days of testimony underscored a number of factors that likely contributed to the collision that left all 67 people aboard both aircrafts dead, sparking Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to 'do better" as she pointed to warnings the agency ignored years earlier. Some of the major issues that have emerged so far include the Black Hawk helicopter flying above prescribed levels near Ronald Reagan National Airport as well as the warnings to FAA officials for years about the hazards related to the heavy chopper traffic there. It's too early for the board to identify what exactly caused the crash. A final report from the board won't come until next year. But it became clear this week how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the Black Hawk took the night of the nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. The January incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. Worry over military helicopters The board focused on air traffic control and heard Thursday that it was common for pilots to ask to use visual separation or relying on their eyesight just as the Army Black Hawk's pilots, who were wearing night vision goggles, agreed to do the night of the crash. FAA officials also said controllers relied heavily on pilots using visual separation as a way to manage the complex airspace with so many helicopters flying around Washington D.C. But Rick Dressler, an official with medevac operator Metro Aviation, told the board it is difficult to identify other aircraft in the night sky around Ronald Reagan National Airport, especially if a key onboard locator system was switched off, as Army choppers routinely did. Dressler said that he and other civilian helicopter pilots in the area have long been concerned about the Army and Air Force helicopters flying around Reagan airport. 'I don't like saying this. I'll say it again on the record,' Dressler, a former Army aviator and retired Air Force officer, said. 'I'm speaking for my group there. We we are all very uncomfortable when those two units are operating.' The Department of Defense referred questions about Thursday's testimony to the Army, which did not immediately respond. Army officials at the hearing did ask Dressler to elaborate on his concerns and consider visiting the Pentagon to share them. Dressel said part of what worries him is the relative lack of experience of the military pilots who may have only been in the area a short time and don't understand the complex airspace around Washington D.C. 'They don't get the seasoning here to really, truly understand how the airspace works,' said Dressel, who also complained that the Army helicopter unit no longer participates in regular meetings with all the other aviators in the area to discuss issues. The Air Force also did not immediately respond to questions about Dressler's remarks. The American Airlines jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, carrying, among others, a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area. Final moments Testimony covered much ground, including the final audio communications from pilots aboard the Army chopper. The Black Hawk's crew had been communicating with the airport's control tower, although the helicopter pilots did not fully hear the controller's instructions. The Black Hawk pilots told the tower twice in the minutes before the crash that they had the American Airlines passenger plane in sight and would maintain proper separation. But when the controller instructed the pilots to 'pass behind' the jet, the crew didn't hear that instruction because the Black Hawk's microphone key was pressed at that moment. Just before the collision an instructor pilot aboard the helicopter asked the pilot at the controls to come left. But it wasn't clear if the pilot had time to maneuver the helicopter before the crash. 'Kinda come left for me ma'am,' the instructor said. The pilot responded: 'Sure.' Concern about distances between planes and helicopters John Cox, an aviation safety expert and retired airline pilot, said the hearings are headed in the right direction to determine what happened and to prevent similar accidents. His main concerns focus on the Black Hawk helicopter, including why it was above the 200-feet (61 meters) elevation limit for that particular helicopter route. Another question is why the Black Hawk wasn't closer to the east bank of the Potomac River, where it would have been further away from landing airplanes. 'I've passed helicopters underneath me over the east bank of the Potomac a lot of times,' said Cox, who flew commercial airliners for 25 years. 'And there's always been plenty of separation. It's not a lot because the space is so constrained. But you're dealing with professional pilots and it's not been a problem.' Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. ___ Associated Press writers David Klepper, Mike Catalini, Leah Askarinam, Ben Finley and Rio Yamat contributed to this story.
