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A Florida state jury awarded more than $25 million to the family of a pilot killed in a midair collision after finding an air-traffic control operations company liable for the crash.
Steve Ross, the pilot of a Cessna plane heading north to Boca Raton from the Bahamas, and a friend were killed in the accident. Also killed in the crash were Mark Willey, the pilot of a Cessna 172 heading south to Fort Lauderdale, and his wife and daughter.
Each of the planes had just made contact with air-traffic controllers in Pompano Beach and Boca Raton before colliding about 1,000 feet in the air. Both planes plunged into the water, killing everyone on board.
The Ross family filed suit against Robinson Aviation Inc., the company in charge of air-traffic control at both the Pompano Beach and Boca Raton airports. Gulfstream Training Academy, the school Willey attended to become a commercial pilot, was also named in the suit.
Ross''s family settled their dispute with Gulfstream for $1.75 million, according their attorneys.
In their case against Robinson Aviation, the Ross family contended that the defendant was negligent in their duty to direct air traffic to avoid the collision. However, Robinson Aviation countered that air-traffic controllers are obligated to issue traffic advisory alerts only if they are aware of potential danger.
A Florida jury found Robinson Aviation responsible for the crash after an eight-day trial and awarded the Ross family $25.2 million in damages.
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