The families of two of the 50 people who died in the 2009 crash of a Continental Connection flight near Buffalo, N.Y., have settled wrongful-death lawsuits against the airlines involved.
The families of Darren Tolsma and John G. Roberts III settled their cases, according to court filings in federal district court in Buffalo. Terms were not disclosed.
The families had sued Continental Airlines Inc., Pinnacle Airlines Corp., Colgan Air and plane manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace Corp.
Pinnacle's Colgan Air subsidiary operated the plane as Continental Connection Flight 3407 when it left Newark, N.J., and crashed on approach to Buffalo on Feb. 12, 2009. The crash killed all 49 people aboard and one person on the ground.
Pinnacle spokesman Joe Williams said his company was "pleased that the cases have been amicably settled." He declined further comment. Continental declined to comment.
Lawsuits by other families are still pending.
The Tolsma and Roberts families said in their lawsuits that the airlines and their employees, including pilot Marvin Renslow and co-pilot Rebecca Shaw, were reckless and caused the crash.
They said the crew allowed ice to build up on the wings, flew the plane too slowly and didn't react correctly when a stall-warning system kicked in. They said the airlines didn't train pilots properly.
In February, the National Transportation Safety Board decided that pilot error probably caused the crash. The board said Renslow mistakenly pointed the plane's nose up after the stall warning, which sent it into a deadly stall.
The board used the crash to raise broader concerns about the regional airlines that operate many flights for the big, name-brand carriers such as Continental. The board called for tougher rules on crew rest, remedial training for pilots who fail skills tests, as Renslow did, and more training on recovering from a stall.
