Excel-Jet, Ltd. Sues FAA for 2006 Sport-Jet Crash
October 17th, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – Excel-Jet, Ltd., initiated legal action against the FAA for the crash of the Company's Sport-Jet prototype aircraft. During test flight number 25, Air Traffic Control cleared the aircraft for takeoff behind a large commercial aircraft, in violation of mandatory separation requirements. The Sport-Jet suffered a violent un-commanded roll immediately after liftoff and crashed. After extensive investigation over 15 months, the Company says that it has no option but to take this action to prove that there was no fault with the aircraft or pilot.
"Test pilots James Stewart and Ron McElroy had accumulated 24 hours of virtually flawless flight testing," reported Bob Bornhofen, the President of Excel-Jet. "The Sport-Jet had explored the majority of its flight envelope without problems." Stewart and McElroy each reported excellent handling qualities.
Excel-Jet has retained the law firms of Coppola & Marlin and Schaden Katzman Lampert & McClune. Richard Schaden, an aeronautical engineer, air transport pilot, and founder of Schaden Katzman Lampert & McClune was instrumental in identifying the 737-rudder problem, which led to a commercial airline crash in Colorado Springs. Both law firms are highly experienced in aviation litigation. The attorneys have hired experts to review the incident and analysis has concluded there was no fault with the aircraft or pilot. Focus is on ATC procedures & operations, and wake turbulence.
Excel-Jet's Sport-Jet is a single-engine, cabin class, 4-place personal jet aircraft aimed at the general aviation pilot. Sport-Jet was designed for single-person operation by a pilot trained in piston-powered airplanes. Many advanced features and a simplified design ease pilot workload. Sport-Jet will sell for about $1.2 million, cruise at 380 knots at 28,000 feet, and can carry four persons for more than 900 nautical miles. The Sport-Jet can provide a 700+ nm door-to-door trip time of 2 hours in a spacious 63-inch wide cabin with 49 inches headroom. More information is available at www.exceljetair.com.
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CONTACT: Frank Coppola, Coppola & Marlin -- 303-573-7777.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – Excel-Jet, Ltd., initiated legal action against the FAA for the crash of the Company's
Sport-Jet prototype aircraft. During test flight number 25, Air Traffic Control cleared the aircraft for takeoff
behind a large commercial aircraft, in violation of mandatory separation requirements. The Sport-Jet suffered a
violent un-commanded roll immediately after liftoff and crashed.
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