"Mark" wrote in message
...
While I am sad for everyone involved, the little girl's death
is especially tragic.

And I really hope that her parents don't sue Cessna.

-Mark

Mark, all due respect to the grieving parents, that would be impossible
since the statute of repose under the General Aviation Revitalization Act
has run for a 1977 Cessna 172. Even if you could get around the statute of
repose, it would be foolhardy to attempt to attach an aircraft manufacturer
for liability in a case in which all the evidence points to pilot error by
attempting to fly in IMC.

GARA precludes the general aviation product liability which has plagued
manufacturers such as Piper, Beech and Cessna with litigation involving old
aircraft. The Statute of Repose immunizes a general aviation manufacturer
for an accident occurring more than eighteen (18) years after the delivery
of the aircraft to the customer or dealer. GARA applies to aircraft
certified by the FAA, which have a capacity of nineteen passengers or less
when originally certificated and only applies to aircraft not engaged in
scheduled, passenger-carrying operations.