Case 1:10-cv-01007-WMS Document 1 Filed 12/14/10 Page 1 of 22

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

NEIL J. PRISCO, JR., Individually and as )

)
Case No.: 10 CV 100'1--
Administrator of the Estate of Donna Lynn
Prisco, )
) COMPLAINT
)
Plaintiff, )
)
vs. )
BOMBARDIER, INC.; BOMBARDIER )
AEROSPACE CORP.; COLGAN AIR, INC., )
CONTINENTAL AIRLINES, INC.; ~
FLIGHTSAFETY, INC. a/k/a )
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL, INC.; )
PINNACLE AIRLINES CORP. )

Defendants »
----------------------------

COMPLAINT

Neil J. Prisco,Jr., individually and as Administrator of the Estate of Donna Lynn Prisco,

by and through his attorneys Motley Rice LLC, for the Compliant against defendants, and each

of them allege the following:

PARTIES

1. Plaintiff is the duly appointed Administrator of the Estate of Donna Prisco, who

died in the crash of Continental Flight 3407 on February 12, 2009. Letters of Administration

were issued to the Plaintiff.

2. Plaintiff brings this action as Administrator and personal representative of the

Estate of Donna Prisco, deceased, and on behalf of each and every beneficiary, survivor, and heir

of decedent under applicable law, including their children and himself as surviving husband of

Donna Prisco.
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3. Defendant, Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (hereinafter "Pinnacle") is a corporation

organized and existing under the laws of Delaware, maintains its principal place of business in

Memphis, Telmessee, is and was engaged in the business of air transportation and the carriage of

persons and property for hire in the State of New York and elsewhere in the United States,

including this Judicial District. Defendant Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is and was, at all times

relevant to this Complaint, the parent company of Defendant Colgan.

4. Defendant Continental Airlines, Inc. (hereinafter "Continental") is a corporation

organized and existing under the laws of Delaware, maintains its principal place of business in

Houston, Texas, and is engaged in business in new York, including this Judicial District, and

operates, inter alia, under the name continental connection.

5. Defendant Bombardier Aerospace Corp. (hereinafter "Bombardier Aerospace") is

a corporation organized and existing under the laws ofthe State of Texas, and maintains its

principal place of business in Quebec, Canada. Bombardier conducts substantial business in and

is engaged in business in New York, including this Judicial District.

6. Defendants Bombardier Aerospace and Bombardier, Inc. are hereinafter

collectively referred to as "Bombardier".

7. Defendant Colgan Air, Inc. (hereafter "Colgan") is and was, at all times relevant

to this Complaint, a wholly owned subsidiary of Defendant Pinnacle Airlines Corp. and a

corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Commonwealth of

Virginia, having its principal place of business in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Defendant

Colgan is and was engaged in the business of air transportation in the State of New Yark and

elsewhere in the United States pursuant to an Air Carrier Operating Certificate issued to it by the

Federal Aviation Administration (hereafter "FAA") authorizing it to act as a common carrier in

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"air transportation" and "air commerce" as defined in Section 40102 of the Transportation Act

[49 U.S.C. 40102 (Subtitle VII Aviation Programs)].

8. Defendant FlightSafety, Inc., a1k/a FlightSafety International, Inc. (hereafter

"FSI") is and was, at all times relevant to this Complaint, a corporation and/or corporate

enterprise organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of New York that is

authorized to do and is doing business in the State of New York, County of Queens.

9. Defendant FSI is and was, at all times relevant to this Complaint, the holder of a

"Training Center Certificate," "Training Specifications" and/or such other air agency certificates

issued by the FAA pursuant to Part 142 of the FAA Regulations [14 C.F.R. 142.1 et seq.]

authorizing Defendant FSI to provide flight simulation equipment, training devices and, among

other services, initial, transition and recurrent pilot training to and for the benefit of persons,

airmen, agencies and air carriers in the aviation industry, including Defendants Colgan, Pinnacle

and/or Continental.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

10. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to, 28 U.S.C. § 1332. There is diversity of

citizenship and the matter in controversy exceeds the sum of seventy five thousand ($75,000.00)

dollars, exclusive of interest and costs.

11. This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S .. § 1367.

12. Venue is proper in this Court pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(a).

FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

13. On or about February 12,2009, Donna Prisco was a flight attendant employed by

Colgan Air, Inc. (hereinafter Colgan) on board Continental Connection Flight 3407, en route

from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo, New York.

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14. The aircraft involved in the Accident was a Bombardier Model Dash 8-Q400 civil

aircraft bearing Serial No. 4200 and U.S. Registration No. N200WQ, a Transport Category

aircraft powered by Turboprop Pratt & Whitney 150A Engines and equipped with, among other

things, an Ice and Rain Protection System, a Stall Protection System, a Low Speed Que, a digital

Air Speed Indicator system, a Control Warning System, and a digital Engine Display (hereinafter

the "Bombardier Aircraft").

15. On or about said date, as the aircraft approached Buffalo Niagara International

Airport, the aircraft crashed.

16. For a measurable period of time, the aircraft flew out of control, violently moved

in unexpected directions, dived, rolled, inverted, and subjected Donna Prisco to unusual g-forces,

all of which resulted in physical bodily injuries, pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional

distress, property damage, and other damages to Donna Prisco aboard the aircraft.

17. Thereafter the plane crashed into the ground, resulting in further damages and

injuries to Donna Prisco and damage to her personal property and which crash ultimately

resulted in the death of Donna Prisco.

18. As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of defendants herein, and each of

them, there was a measurable and significant period of time before the crash, as well as before

the first trauma causing injury to Donna Prisco and/or the time she was otherwise first injured

before her death, she consciously suffered pre-impact fright and terror and physical pain and

suffering, post-impact fright and terror and physical pain and suffering, mental anguish,

emotional distress, sever injuries, and damages for a measurable period of time before she died.

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19. As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of defendants herein, and each of

them, before her death, Donna Prisco's personal property and the use thereof, were damaged,

destroyed, and tortuously interfered with, causing her additional damage.

20. As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of defendants herein, and each of

them, Donna Prisco died and her beneficiaries, heirs and survivors including her husband and

children, have been and continue to be, deprived of their wife's and mother's companionship,

care, comfort, consortium, education, guidance, training, and other economic and pecuniary

losses, and non-economic and non-pecuniary losses.

21. As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of defendants herein, and each of

them, Donna Prisco died and her beneficiaries, heirs and survivors including her husband and

children have suffered, and continue to suffer, other compensable damages under applicable law,

according to proof.

22. As a direct and proximate result of the conduct of defendants herein, and each of

them, Donna Prisoc died and her beneficiaries, heirs and survivors including her husband and

children have incurred funeral, burial, travel, and related expenses and property damage,

according to proof.

23. Before and on February 12. 2009, defendants Continental, Pinnacle and Colgan

were commercial common carries engaged in the business of carrying passengers for hire in

interstate and international commerce in that, among other things, they each regularly operated

scheduled passenger flights and maintained, inspected, serviced, scheduled, leased, and

purchased aircraft, including the N200WQ, and aircraft manuals for the aircraft and their flight

operations.

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24. Before and on February 12, 2009, defendants Continental and Pinnacle owned,

controlled, inspected, and monitored, the operations of Colgan.

25. Bombardier designed, manufactured, assembled, inspected, tested, maintained,

monitored, marketed, sold and placed into the stream of commerce the Bombardier Aircraft and

its component parts and systems.

26. Bombardier prepared, wrote, approved, sold and transferred to Colgan/Pinnacle

manuals, instruction. Bulletins, and warnings for the Bombardier Aircraft and its components

parts and systems including, but not limited to, the Aeroplane Operating Manual, the Airplane

Flight Manual, Quick Reference Handbook, service bulletins and other warnings (herein after the

"manuals").

27. The Bombardier Aircraft and its component parts, systems and manuals were sold

by or on behalf of Bombardier to Colgan/Pinnacle pursuant to purchase agreement No. 0604,

relating to the purchase of twenty-five (25) Bombardier Q400 series aircraft, dated February 17,

2007.

28. On February 12, 2009, the Bombardier Aircraft and its component parts and

systems were being operated and used by Colgan for the purpose and in the manner for which

they were designed, manufactured, distributed, sold, marketed and intended to be used in a

manner reasonably foreseeable to Bombardier and in a condition without substantial change from

their original condition when sold by Bombardier to Pinnacle.

29. Subsequent to the sale and distribution of the Bombardier Aircraft and its

component parts, systems and manuals, Bombardier continued to provide customer support to

Colgan and Pinnacle, including information concerning the design, operation and maintenance of

the Bombardier Aircraft and its component parts, systems and manuals.

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30. Bombardier owed a duty to Colgan, Pinnacle and Donna Prisco to exerCIse

reasonable care in the design, manufacturing, testing, inspection, and maintenance of the

Bombardier Aircraft and its component parts, systems and manuals. Upon information and

belief, Bombardier violated such duty.

31. Upon information and belief, the Accident and the plaintiffs damages were

proximately caused, in whole or in part, by the acts or omissions of Bombardier with respect to

the design, manufacturing, testing, inspection, and maintenance of the Bombardier aircraft and

its component parts, systems and manuals.

32. Defendant Bombardier designed, manufactured, assembled, inspected, tested,

distributed, serviced, maintained, monitored, repaired, marketed and introduced into the stream

of commerce the aircraft, and its component parts, including, but not limited to, the aircraft's de-

icing system, flight control system, stabilizer system, electrical system, and flight

instrumentation system, along with instructions, warnings, and flight operations and maintenance

manuals, for the aircraft and its component parts which it approved, wrote, prepared, provided,

monitored and sold, delivered, and provided to defendants, Continental, Pinnacle and Colgan,

and each of them and thereafter each of said defendants monitored the aircraft for maintenance,

mechanical reliability and airworthiness and undertook to, and did, service and maintain the

aircraft to provide for its mechanical reliability and airworthiness.

33. Prior to February 12, 2009, and while Defendant FSI was acting pursuant to a

training agreement entered into between Defendant FSI, as contract provider and Defendants

Colgan, Pilmacle and/or Continental as contractee(s), Defendant FSI authorized agent of its

contractee(s) undertook responsibility for providing Defendant Colgan employee, Marvin

Renslow, with the necessary flight simulator training required by Part 121 of the FAA

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Regulations [14 C.F.R. 121.1 et seq.] to qualify Captain Renslow for duty as pilot in command

of a Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 aircraft operated in regular air carrier line operations.

34. More specifically, in November of 2008 Captain Renslow was trained using FSI"s

Dash 8-Q400 simulator in St. Louis, Missouri.

35. Prior to February 12, 2008, and while Defendant FSI was acting pursuant to a

training agreement entered into between Defendant FSI as contract provider and Defendants

Colgan, Pinnacle and/or Continental, as contractee(s), Defendant FSI as authorized agent of its

contractee(s) undertook responsibility for providing Defendant Colgan employee, Rebecca

Shaw, with the necessary ground and transition flight simulator training required by Part 121 of

the Federal Aviation Regulations [14 C.F .R. 121.1 et seq.] to qualify First Officer Shaw for duty

as a first officer.

36. More specifically, on March of 2008 First Officer Shaw participated in and

completed the "First Officer Dash 8-Q400 Initial/Transition Course" at FSI's Toronto Learning

Center.

37. At all times relevant to this Complaint, up to and including February 12, 2009,

Defendant FSI, from its headquarters in Flushing, Queens County, New York, actively marketed

its services to the aviation community, airlines, private companies and the general public,

proclaiming that "The best safety device in any aircraft is a well trained crew.'®" - making clear

that FSI's products and training were offered not just for the benefit of its customers, but for

those passengers and flight attendants that flew on its customer's aircraft.

38. At all times relevant to this Complaint, up to and including February 12, 2009,

Defendant FSI advertised on its website that it provided "safety centered training to flight crews

of Bombardier regional jets: and provided training on the Dash 8-Q400 and claimed to have "day

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to day working relationships with the great majority of the aircraft manufacturers, which

ensures ... access to the latest bulletins and best practices advisories." Despite this advertising

and these claims, upon information and belief, FSI never provided instruction to the Captain or

the First Officer in utilizing the stick pusher component in the Dash 8-Q400.

39. At all times relevant to this complaint, up to and including February 12, 2009,

upon information and belief, Defendant FSI provided to its customers and utilized in its training

Dash 8-Q400 simulation and training equipment that was not representative of aircraft

performance.

40. Upon information and belief, at all times relevant to this Complaint, up to and

including February 12, 2009, FSI was under tremendous financial pressure, and FSI's president

exhorted employees in an April 3, 2003, memorandum to "do more to reduce costs and increase

revenues" because "[a]t the present time, expenses are too high for the amount of revenues we

generate;" he pressured employees to cut costs, reduce staffing, increase revenue, and do

everything possible to run things more "efficiently;" he referred to the current "training systems

that.. .need[ed] to challenge and impress customers, make learning fun, and provide a level of

competency not yet achieved;" he asked all employees to "consolidate jobs," "cut overhead,"

"better utilize" instructor time, and "find creative ways to streamline processes, both human and

computerized .... " This corporate culture and purposeful decision making led to substandard

flight and simulator training where key components of the aircraft - including the stick pusher

mechanism on the Dash 8-Q400 were not adequately or accurately represented by flight

simulation and training devices, and thus not adequately explained or taught.

41. Defendants, and each of them, and their parents, subsidiaries, associates, and

partners, at all times pertinent hereto, and each of them, were the agent, servant, employee,

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assignee, successor in interest or joint venture of each other, and were acting within the time,

purpose or scope of such agency or employment; and all acts or omissions alleged herein of each

such defendant were authorized adopted, approved, or ratified by each of the other defendants.

42. At all times here mentioned, defendants, and each of them, were fully informed

of the actions of their agents and employees and thereafter no officer, director, or managing

agent of defendants repudiated those actions, which failure to repudiate constituted ratification,

adoption and approval of each of said actions.

43. Each of the defendants actions described in this Complaint were wanton and

reckless and demonstrated a conscious indifference and utter disregard of their effects upon the

health and safety of others, including the Plaintiff s decedent, Donna Prisco

COUNT I

(Negligence and Egregious Negligence against Defendant Colgan,)

44. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations of this

Complaint.

45. Donna Prisco, on February 12, 2009, was an employee of Defendant, Colgan,

working on board Continental Connection Flight 3407, enroute from Newark, New Jersey to

Buffalo, New York.

46. Defendant, Colgan, owed a duty to Donna Prisco, to conduct operations safely as

not to jeopardize the health and lives of their employees. Defendant, Colgan violated this duty,

and was negligent, careless, reckless, willful and wanton, including but not limited to the

following particulars:

a. failed to ensure the pilots on Flight 3407 had proper training.

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b. failed to provide enough supervisory pilots to ensure safety of Defendant's

new fleet of Q400 aircraft

c. failed to address numerous safety issues previously identified by the FAA,

including but not limited to, airspeed limitation compliance, incorrect use

of the automated control system, and incorrect communications

procedures

d. failed to provide an adequate safety feedback structure

e. failed to keep current safety manuals

f. failed to have a complete operation manual for the Q400 aircraft

g. failed to ensure pilots were trained on recognition and response to "stick

shaker"

h. failed to monitor proper crew rest for their pilots

1. failed to provide adequate procedures for airspeed selection and

management during approaches in icy conditions

J. failed to ensure pilots were adequately trained on "sterile cockpit" concept

k. failed to equip the Q400 with low speed awareness indicators

1. failed to provide adequate CRM training to their pilots

m. failed to ensure captain's had adequate leadership and management

training

n. failed to effectively monitor and enforce their policy of flight crews not

using the crew room for overnight rest

o. failed to monitor and prevent crews from long commutes preceding crew

member duty time

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p. failed to provide an adequate fatigue management policy

q. failed to proactively address the training and proficiency defects of their

pilots

r. failed to monitor pilots with known deficiencies

s. failed to keep adequate and accurate records of pilot training

t. failed to provide adequate and well trained flight instructors and check

airmen, and/or

u. failed to implement the flight operational quality assurance program

47. Defendant, Colgan, knew, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known,

that the negligent, careless, reckless, willful and wanton acts, listed in Paragraph 46, would result

in injury or death to their employees, to a substantial certainty.

48. The death of Donna Prisco was more than the mere fact of life of industrial

employment and was the result of the Defendant Colgan's negligent, careless, reckless, willful

and wanton conduct as stated in Paragraph 46 of the Complaint.

COUNT II

(Negligence Against Defendants Colgan, Continental and Pinnacle)

49. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations in this

Complaint.

50. At all relevant times herein, defendants Colgan, Continental and Pinnacle were

authorized common carriers by air transportation and owed a duty of care to Plaintiff's decedent

to operate and maintain the aircraft with the utmost of care and to the highest degree of safety.

51. By reason of their inter-relationship and the Marketing Alliance Code

Share Agreement dated July 1, 1997 between Colgan and Continental, the rights and

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obligations of which were assumed by Defendant Pinnacle when it acquired Defendant

Colgan, said Defendants acted in concert, each as the agent and/or principal of the others,

for the purposes of their joint and several use and operation of Civil Aircraft N200WQ on

February 12,2009, as Continental Connection Flight 3407 and their joint and several

employment and training of the pilots of Continental Connection Flight 3407.

52. The crash of continental COlmection Flight 3407 and resulting death of Plaintiff's

decedent as aforesaid were proximately caused through no fault of the decedent by joint and

several negligence, careless acts and omissions, wrongful acts and omissions, wanton and willful

acts and omissions, recklessness and dereliction of duty of Defendants Colgan, Pinnacle and

Continental and, further, by their failure to take all necessary means to avoid the crash and fatal

injuries to Plaintiff's decedent, accordingly, each of the said Defendants is jointly and severally

liable to Plaintiff for the death and injury to his decedent.

53. At all times herein relevant, defendants, and each of them, negligently, carelessly,

wantonly and recklessly operated, maintained, controlled, inspected, serviced, repaired, loaded,

dispatched, scheduled, and monitored flight 3407 and had negligently, carelessly, and recklessly

trained flight crews, including the crew of flight 3407. Further, defendants, and each of them,

negligently, carelessly, and recklessly leased and/or purchased the N200WQ for the purpose to

which it was operated as flight 3407 on February 12,2009.

54. On February 12,2009, defendants, and each of them, negligently, carelessly,

wantonly and recklessly dispatched, operated, and flew flight 3407 into icing conditions knowing

said aircraft was inadequately equipped with ineffective de-icing equipment, and had negligently

failed to train the crew of flight 3407 to operate the aircraft in such circumstances.

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55. That as a direct and proximate cause of the acts and conduct alleged herein, the

flight went out of control and flight 3407 was caused to, and did, crash, thereby injuring

Plaintiff's decedent and causing her death and the injuries and damages sustained by Plaintiff

herein.

COUNT III-

(Strict Liability Against Defendants Bombardier)

56. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations in

this Complaint.

57. The aircraft and its component parts, systems, manuals, instructions, and

warnings were defective and umeasonably dangerous by reason of defective design,

manufacture, and/or marketing and the failure of defendant to give adequate and proper

warnings of the dangers existing therein and adequate instructions regarding the

avoidance of such dangers. The defective and umeasonably dangerous conditions in such

aircraft exposed Plaintiff's decedent and the public in general to an umeasonable risk of

harm and were a producing cause of Plaintiff's injuries and damages. The umeasonably

dangerous conditions /defect(s) include, among other things, the de-icing system, the

pilot's operating manual, the flight control systems, maintenance manuals and

procedures, and the absence of adequate warnings and instructions regarding such

dangers, including but not limited to the failure to provide pilots with a system to

adequately warn of dangerously low airspeeds, approaching stalls or imminent stalls.

58. At the time the subject aircraft and its de-icing system, maintenance

procedures, and other pertinent component parts were sold and/or marketed and/or placed

into the stream of commerce by defendants, such products were defective and

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unreasonably dangerous as that term is defined in law to persons, including Plaintiff's

decedent, who could reasonably be expected to use or benefit from it, and which

defective and unreasonably dangerous conditions were a direct and proximate cause of

Plaintiff's damages, The subject aircraft was also defective by reason of such

defendant's failure to include or place with it adequate warnings and instructions as to

dangers associated with the design and foreseeable maintenance and use of the products

and how to avoid such dangers, and which defects rendered the subject aircraft

unreasonably dangerous and a direct and proximate cause of Plaintiff's injuries and

damages.

59. Defendants are aerospace manufacturers who hold themselves out to the

public as having superior knowledge, skill and experience in the design, construction,

assembly, manufacture, testing, maintenance and preparation of flight and maintenance

manuals, and inspection of transport category aircraft and their components, and, in the

course of business as an aerospace manufacturer, defendants designed, constructed,

assembled, manufactured, inspected, tested, published flight operation and maintenance

manuals, and caused to be certified under Part 25 of the federal Aviation Regulations the

Dash 8-Q400 model transport category aircraft, including N200WQ, which defendants

expressly and impliedly warranted was fit for its intended purpose use as a vehicle in air

transportation, being airworthy and free of unreasonably dangerous defects; and, further,

defendant marketed, sold, distributed and caused to be introduced N200WQ into the

stream of commerce by sale or lease to Continental, Pinnacle and/or Colgan.

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60. The uncontrolled flight and crash alleged herein and the injury, damage,

and death of Plaintiff's decedent were proximately caused and/or substantially

contributed to by each of the foregoing enumerated defects.

61. Defendants' actions were wanton and reckless and demonstrated a

conscious indifference and utter disregard of their effects upon the health and safety of

others, including the Plaintiff's decedent, Donna Prisco.

Count III

(Negligence Against Defendants Bombardier)

62. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations of

this Complaint.

63. At all times herein relevant, defendants, and each of them, so negligently,

carelessly, wantonly and recklessly designed, manufactured, tested, and marketed the

aircraft and its component parts, systems, manuals, instructions, and warnings so as to

have causes the loss of control and crash of flight 3407. Defendants knew, or in the

exercise of ordinary care should have known, that aircraft and its component parts,

systems, manuals, instructions, and warnings were defective and unreasonably dangerous

to those persons likely to use the products for the purposes and in the manner for which

they were intended to be used and for the purposes reasonably foreseeable to such

defendants, including the purpose for which N200WQ was used on February 12, 2009.

Defendants were negligent in the particulars set forth in this and the preceding

paragraphs, among other reasons, and said negligence was a proximate cause of the

occurrence made the basis of this suit and Plaintiff's injuries and damages.

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64. Defendants knew, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have known,

of the means of designing, testing or equipping the subject aircraft, manuals, de-icing

system, and flight control systems, such that the type of incident and resulting injuries as

described herein would be prevented. Defendants had actual knowledge of the means of

designing and testing an aircraft, manuals and flight control systems, including but not

limited to a system that would provide pilots with adequate warnings of dangerously low

airspeeds, approaching stalls or imminent stalls, such that They would not be inadequate

or unreasonably dangerous. Defendants were additionally negligent in that they failed to

give adequate or proper warnings or instructions to ordinary users thereof, including

Continental, Pinnacle, Colgan and Plaintiffs decedent, and failed to recall or timely

recall the products or make appropriate post-marketing efforts to prevent incidents such

as the one included herein.

65. Defendants owed Plaintiff's decedent the duty of reasonable care in

designing, manufacturing, testing, and marketing the products in question. Defendants

violated their duty and were negligent, said negligence including those acts of omission

or commission previously described. This defendants' negligent acts, collectively and/or

severally, were a proximate cause or causes of the accident made the basis of this suit, the

injury to and death of decedent, and the injuries and damages sustained by Plaintiff.

66. The defective condition and consequent crash of the aircraft were

proximately caused by the negligence, wrongdoing, tortuous conduct, careless wanton

and reckless acts and omissions of said defendants in design, manufacture, assembly,

construction, testing, inspection, certification, marketing, monitoring, and sale of the

aircraft and in their failure to warn of and take appropriate remedial action with respect to

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a known and dangerously defective condition. Defendants' actions were done knowingly

and intentionally, wanton and reckless and demonstrated a conscious indifference and

utter disregard of their effects upon the health and safety of others, including the

Plaintiff's decedent, Donna Prisco.

COUNT IV

(Breach of Express and Implied Warranty Against Defendants Bombardier)

67. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations of

this Complaint.

68. Defendants, by and through the sale of the products in question, expressly

and impliedly warranted to the public generally, and to the Plaintiff's decedent

specifically, that the products in question were fit for the purposes for which they were

intended.

69. Plaintiff's decedent made use of the products as alleged herein, and relied

on the express and implied warranties.

70. Contrary thereto, the products were not fit for their intended and

foreseeable uses, thereby rendering the products in question unreasonably dangerous.

71. Defendants breached their express and implied warranties because of the

products' failure and defective components as alleged herein, and because of the

improper marketing involving defendants' failure to warn of the products' inadequacies

or defects and failure to instruct in the safe operation and maintenance of the products

72. Defendants' breach of warranties and the above-mentioned defects

rendered the products unreasonably dangerous and a proximate cause and producing

cause of the occurrence in question and the resulting injuries suffered by Plaintiffs.

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Further, defendants' conduct was done knowingly, intentionally and was wanton and

reckless and demonstrated a conscious indifference and utter disregard of their effects

upon the health and safety of others, including the Plaintiffs decedent, Donna Prisco.

73. The crash of the aircraft and death of Plaintiffs decedent was proximately

caused and/or substantially contributed to by defendant's breach of express and implied

warranties of the said aircraft's fitness for use and defendant's breach of its

representations that the Dash-8 Q400 model aircraft, and, in particular Dash-8, were free

ofumeasonably dangerous defects in design and/or manufacture.

74. As a member of the traveling public, Plaintiffs decedent relied to her

detriment upon defendants' express and implied representations of safety and fitness for

the use to which it was put on February 12,2009.

75. As a direct and proximate cause of the breach of each warranty, N200WQ

was caused to, and did, crash, causing the injuries, death, and damages complained

herein.

COUNT V

(Negligence against Defendant FlightSafety International)

76. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations of

this Complaint.

77. Upon information and belief, the Defendant FSI conducts and operates a

flight school for the instruction and training of professional pilots.

78. Upon information and belief, in March 2008, the Defendant FSI provided

training and instruction to Colgan employee Rebecca Shaw, the First Officer on

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Continental Connection Flight 3407, as to the operation of the Dash8-Q400 aircraft, at

FSI's Toronto Learning Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

79. Upon information and belief, in November 2008, Colgan employee

Marvin Renslow, the Captain on Continental Connection Flight 3407, was trained and

instructed in the operation of the Dash 8-Q400 aircraft at FSI's St. Louis Training Center

in St. Louis, Missouri, on a simulator owned and operated by FSI.

80. Upon information and belief, Defendant FSI designed the aforesaid

training programs and simulator(s) used therein that were provided to Rebecca Shaw and

Marvin Renslow in the course of their employment with Colgan.

81. Upon information and belief, the crash of Continental Connection Flight

3407 was proximately caused by the negligence, careless acts and omissions, wrongful

acts and omissions, wanton and willful acts and omissions, and recklessness and

dereliction of duty of Defendant FSI in instructing and training Rebecca Shaw and

Marvin Renslow and/or its creation and/or design of the aforesaid programs of instruction

and training.

82. As a result of the foregoing, Defendant FSI proximately caused the fatal

crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 and the resulting injuries and damages to

Plaintiff's decedent.

83. By reason of the foregoing, Defendant FSI is liable to Plaintiff for

compensatory damages in a sum that exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower cOUlis

which would otherwise have jurisdiction and for punitive damages; Plaintiff will seek

damages in an amount to be proven and determined at the time of trial.

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 Case 1:10-cv-01007-WMS Document 1 Filed 12/14/10 Page 21 of 22

COUNT VI

(Negligent Performance of a Contractual Duty against Defendant

FlightSafety International)

84. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all prior and subsequent allegations of

this Complaint.

85. The crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 and resulting death of Plaintiff s

decedent as aforesaid were proximately caused through no fault of the decedent by the

negligence, careless acts and omissions, wrongful acts and omissions, wanton and willful acts

and omissions, recklessness and dereliction of duty of Defendant FSI, acting by and through its

officers, agents, servants, and employees, while affirmatively discharging its contractual

obligations pursuant to its contract(s) with Defendants Colgan, Pinnacle and/or Continental.

86. More specifically, in rendering services pursuant to its contract(s) with

Defendants Colgan, Pinnacle and/or Continental, Defendant FSI created an unreasonable risk of

harm to others, increased a risk of harm to others, created a dangerous condition, and/or

exacerbated a dangerous condition.

87. Upon information and belief, Plaintiffs decedent and other Continental

Connection Flight 3407 passengers relied upon FSI's performance of its contractual obligations.

88. As a result of the foregoing, Defendant FSI launched a force and/or instrument of

harm and was a proximate cause of the fatal crash of Continental COID1ection Flight 3407 and the

resulting injuries and damages to Plaintiffs decedent.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays judgment against defendants, jointly and severally,

as follows:

1. For compensatory damages as allowed by law for the wrongful death of

decedent, in an amount according to proof at trial.

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 Case 1:10-cv-01007-WMS Document 1 Filed 12/14/10 Page 22 of 22

2. For damages arising from the pre-impact physical pain and suffering, and

mental anguish of Plaintiff's decedent.

3. For funeral, burial, and related expenses according to proof;

4. For property damage and loss of use of property according to proof;

5. For punitive damages as allowed by law;

6. For pre-judgment interest as provided by law;

7. For costs of suits incurred herein and attorneys fees as allowed by law;

8. That all issue of fact in this matter be determined by a jury;

9. For such other and further relief as the COUli may deem just and proper.

DEMAND FOR TRIAL BY JURY

Plaintiff hereby demands a jury trial.

Dated this 14th day of December, 2010

By~'~~__~~~~__~
Fidelma L. Fitz rick
Attorney for Plaintiff
Motley Rice LLC
275 Seventh Ave., 2 nd floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel. (401) 457-7728
Fax (401) 457-7708
ffitzpatrick(iiJ,motleyrice.com

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