In article , Philip Sondericker wrote:
Well, how about it? Anyone willing to submit some actual hard data?

Is there a legal equivalent of the NTSB database we can search? Without
that, it's essentially impossible to do - but there are some fairly well
published ones, such as the Jessica Dubroff case (entirely the fault of
the instructor, but Cessna got named in the suit nonetheless), at least
one where the pilot ran the plane out of fuel and the manufacturer got
sued, and one against Cessna when a newly-qualified (teenage) private
pilot decided to buzz his family home and crashed in the process.

'Frivolous', IMHO, includes any case where the manufacturer sues when
the aircraft's commander was grossly negligent - such as running out of
fuel when there's no fuel leak or similar fault, or when the commander
breaks the regulations to do buzzjobs, or where the pilot takes off into
the face of approaching thunderstorms at high altitude airports.
The trouble is the COST of defending these lawsuits where the pilot was
entirely at fault, even if the manufacturer eventually wins, is
hurting the industry.

--
Dylan Smith, Castletown, Isle of Man
Flying: http://www.dylansmith.net
Frontier Elite Universe: http://www.alioth.net
"Maintain thine airspeed, lest the ground come up and smite thee"