ST Engineering’s US unit among defendants in UPS plane crash lawsuit
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The suit relates to a Nov 4 plane crash, which killed 14 people and injured 23.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Young Zhan Heng
Follow topic:
- ST Engineering's VT SAA is named in a lawsuit alleging negligence in maintaining a UPS cargo plane that crashed in November.
- The lawsuit claims VT SAA's negligence contributed to the engine detaching, leading to 14 deaths and 23 injuries.
- ST Engineering will cooperate with investigations but won't comment on legal proceedings, expressing sadness over the accident.
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SINGAPORE – ST Engineering’s US subsidiary, VT San Antonio Aerospace (VT SAA), is one of several firms named in a wrongful death lawsuit on Dec 3.
The lawsuit, filed in a Kentucky court, alleged that the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) company was negligent when maintaining the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F aircraft before the fatal UPS plane crash in November.
Shortly after taking off on Nov 4, the UPS cargo plane hit a storage yard and two additional buildings, including a petroleum recycling facility, preliminary investigations by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found.
The crash killed 14 people and injured 23, NTSB noted.
The lawsuit, which was filed by the family of one of the victims, also alleged negligence against shipping giant UPS and its airline subsidiary UPS Air, Boeing and General Electric.
According to court documents seen by The Business Times, VT SAA performed maintenance on the aircraft from Sept 3 to Oct 18.
The lawsuit alleged that VT SAA “owed a duty to exercise reasonable care in the maintenance, inspection and repair of aircraft”. It further alleged that the negligence of VT SAA contributed to the left engine of the cargo plane detaching from the aircraft’s left wing.
VT SAA began operations in 2002, providing MRO services for cargo operators and commercial airlines. It is part of ST Engineering North America, formerly known as VT Systems.
NTSB said that at the time of the accident, the plane had accumulated 92,992 total flight hours and 21,043 cycles. Federal Aviation Administration records show that the aircraft was 34 years old.
A preliminary probe found that the aircraft’s left engine and pylon separated shortly after rotation.
Responding to queries from The Business Times, an ST Engineering spokesperson said that the company will not comment on pending litigation or legal proceedings, and that it will fully cooperate with the investigating authority, NTSB, and other authorities.
“We remain deeply saddened by the unfortunate accident of the UPS aircraft, and our thoughts continue to be with those who have been impacted, especially the bereaved families,” added the spokesperson.
Shares of ST Engineering closed 1.6 per cent or 13 cents higher at $8.34 on Dec 12. THE BUSINESS TIMES
