The family of a retired commercial pilot who was killed in a catastrophic plane crash while performing at an air show in Dallas is filing a lawsuit to ensure the safety of other pilots participating in aviation events.
According to a press release, the wife of Leonard "Len" Root, Angela Root, and their daughters, Larisa Lichte, Kendra Hockaday, and Rebekah Lowery, filed the suit in Dallas County Court on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Kevin Koudelka, one of the attorneys representing the Root family, says the petition is also being filed to show that the tragic death of a beloved husband and father is an immense loss made even more traumatic by its preventable nature.
"Filing this lawsuit was a difficult decision for the Root family," said Koudelka.
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"Ultimately, protecting the aviation community and holding those responsible for this tragedy honors Len Root and his passion for flying. We are committed to making sure others don't suffer as Mrs. Root and Len's daughters have."
READ ENTIRE LAWSUIT FILING BELOW:
The fatal crash happened on Nov. 12, 2022, during the "Wings Over Dallas" event at the Dallas Executive Airport.
Thousands of spectators watched in horror as two World War II-era planes collided mid-air, tragically killing Len Root, Terry Barker, Craig Hutain, Kevin "K5" Michels, Dan Ragan, and Curt Rowe.
Root, 66, retired in 2021 after a 30-year career with American Airlines in Fort Worth.
The press release said while the investigation is still ongoing, failures in planning and the coordination of the aircraft positions caused the mid-air collision and the deaths of the pilots and crew.
"Airshows should be fun, educational, and informative events and are important to preserve our aviation history,” said Wil Angelly, another attorney for the Root family and a pilot.
“However, they can and must be done safely, and this airshow was not safe. These two planes should never have been within the same zip code of each other.”
CRASHES IN CIVIL AIR EVENTS
According to the National Institutes of Health, from 1993 to 2013, 174 aircraft crashed while performing civil air shows in the U.S. with 91 being fatal and 83 being nonfatal. The crashes resulted in 104 deaths and 44 non-fatal injuries to pilots and passengers.
NIH reported that during that timeframe, an estimated average of 270 civil air events happened each year, meaning the estimated industrywide commercial air show crash rate during the decade was 31 crashes per 1,000 air events.
Attorneys for the Root family said 20% of the airshow collisions are related to formation flying, making crashes like the one that killed Len uncommon.
"The incredible flights we witness at air shows are only possible when there is a dedication to safety on the part of show organizers - a dedication that was disregarded at Wings Over Dallas 2022," said Michael Richardson, another attorney for the Root family.
"Because of this, families are living with the trauma of the decisions of bad actors, the community at large has lost aviation experts and enthusiasts, and irreplaceable WWII-era vintage aircraft were destroyed. To say we've lost many different American treasures here is an understatement."
