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American, Aerospatiale to pay $110 million in '94 crash
September 22, 1997
Web posted at: 10:40 p.m. EDT (2240 GMT)CHICAGO (CNN) -- American Airlines and the French aircraft manufacturer Aerospatiale have agreed to pay $110 million to the families of some of the 68 people killed when an American Eagle commuter plane crashed in Indiana in 1994.
The settlement was announced in U.S. District Court on Monday, minutes before the civil trial against the two companies was set to begin.
The plaintiffs charged American, operator of the American Eagle flight, and Aerospatiale with continuing to fly the ATR-72 turboprop despite evidence that the de-icing equipment on this model aircraft was badly designed and ineffective.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the plane had developed ice on its wings before it crashed and urged tighter regulations on flights by commuter aircraft in icing conditions.
"The defendants didn't want the jury to know that there was a design problem with the plane and nothing was done," said Donald Nolan, a lawyer for some of the victims' families.
Related story:
- Reporter's Notebook: The legal fights and rights after an air crash - August 6, 1997
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