Letter to the FAA

On Wednesday, June 7, 2017 at 5:45:08 PM UTC-5, Don Johnstone wrote:
I am sure that the FAA are a far more lucrative target to sue, in
the event of an accident, than the SAA or an individual club or glider
operation.


OMG! That is hilarious - better even than the "Elmira Death Hook"!

Seriously - you really can't sue the FAA - it's the government and they WILL win. But a glider operation with some liquid assets?

Not to belittle Walt's plight - and as a fellow tow pilot who has also had an upset (although minor) in a Schweizer-equipped Pawnee - I am completely in the camp that all the Elmira Death Hooks (giggle) should be trashed and replaced with Tost release. 33.3 percent done on our towplanes, should be 66.6 by the end of the year, perhaps higher if we sell the last Schweizer equipped death trap (Anyone seriously interested in a 180 SuperCub?).

And while you are at it, trash the Gollywhompers that at bolted to the Elmira Death Hooks!

(Thanks Pez D Spencer!)

Kirk
66

You can sue the FAA and win. I know someone personally who did, rather his estate did.

Originally Posted by

You can sue the FAA and win. I know someone personally who did, rather his estate did.

There are many common misconceptions concerning lawsuits, one of which is that you can't sue a goverment agency. Not so. "The Federal Tort Claims Act waives the historic concept of “sovereign immunity” inherited from English law. It is possible to sue a federal employee who commits a tortuous act (negligence) within the scope of employment. An example would be a pilot complying with an ATC IFR clearance that causes him to fly into a mountain."

That being said if you want to go after a goverment agency you better have a strong, willing lawyer on your side and deep pockets. It's gonna cost you.

Walt