-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- The Hartford Courant U.S. Company Target Of Crash Lawsuits MARK PAZNIOKAS March 22, 2000 Lawyers are trying to convince a Connecticut judge that mistakes by a Colorado publishing company contributed to the April 3, 1996, plane crash that killed Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown and 34 others near Dubrovnik, Croatia. The company is Jeppesen Sanderson, which publishes airport approach charts used by every U.S. airline, as well as the U.S. Air Force. Two new investigations commissioned by lawyers representing most of the victims' families conclude that Jeppesen's chart misled the pilots into thinking they would be safe if they maintained a minimum altitude of 2,150 feet - even though a 2,300-foot mountain stood a mile beyond the runway. ``The Jeppesen chart that was used by this flight crew was a major cause of this accident,'' concluded Charles F. Leonard, a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator hired by the lawyers. ``The minimum descent altitude was too low, and the chart was flawed, confusing and misleading.'' Jeppesen, a subsidiary of The Courant's corporate owner, Times Mirror, denies any responsibility. An Air Force investigation blamed the crash on mistakes by its pilots and commanders and an improper approach designed by Croatian aviation authorities. The lawsuits accuse Jeppesen of publishing a chart that was confusing and understated the dangers of flying into the Dubrovnik airport, which was set at the foot of steeply rising mountains by the Adriatic Sea. Jeppesen says it merely publishes approach data provided by civil aviation authorities around the world. Jeppesen has been sued in nearly a dozen jurisdictions by the estates of 28 victims. The litigation was consolidated in Hartford because the first suit was filed in Connecticut. On April 3, the fourth anniversary of the crash, U.S. District Chief Judge Alfred V. Covello, who also is a instrument-rated pilot and flight instructor, is scheduled to hear arguments on a key question: Whose law should guide the court in deciding if Jeppesen is liable for alleged defects in its chart for Dubrovnik? Jeppesen is arguing that Colorado law, which would limit the company's potential liability, should control. The plaintiffs would settle for the laws of virtually any other jurisdiction. The choices are many. The defendant is a Colorado company with a German subsidiary, which actually distributed the chart. The plane crashed in Croatia. Relatives of the victims have filed suits in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> *Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day. ================================================================= <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
