- It has been 22 years since American Airlines Flight 1420 crashed in Little Rock. Chu was returning from a Memorial Day vacation in San Francisco when Flight 1420 crashed after landing in a storm, hitting a set of light poles, careening over an embankment and breaking in half. 20 North Clark Street Suite 3500 The 23-year-old . Major support provided through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism. Pass holders were offered terms of five years or lifetime. have achieved multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for individuals with lawsuits arising frommedical malpractice,product liability,semitruck and motor vehicle accidents,workplace injuries and construction accidentsin Illinois and Wisconsin. We join the American people in extending our deepest sympathies to the families of those who died or were injured. The crash resulted in 11 fatalities and dozens of serious injuries among the 145 onboard. Ten passengers and the pilot died in the crash or from injuries suffered in the event. American Airlines Flight 1420 The flight crew was unable to control Flight 1420 during inclement weather, causing the aircraft to overshoot the runway, crash into a chain-link fence and strike an anchored stanchion in Little Rock, Arkansas. All 68 people aboard were killed in the high speed impact. According to the NTSB's report, the crew of Flight 1420 learned that the winds were changing . 125, 135, 992 S.W.2d 67, 73 (1999), and a reasonable jury could find that the proximate cause of the failure to deploy the spoilers (and thus the crash) was the decision to land the plane during bad weather. [1]:2The airline substituted another MD-80, tail number N215AA, which allowed Flight 1420 to depart DFW at 22:40. 1A, 6A. The jury decided Captain Buschmann's death occurred because the aircraft collided with illegal non-frangible approach light supports erected in what should have been the Runway Safety Area. One of the last weather-caused airline crashes in the United States was American Airlines Flight 1420 in Little Rock on June 1, 1999. Ly 6GAF!Zex NVt'i?{89StjG f!gK!FbZ+;#Ld7!G"5D/GH&\h`;m{uNF/3WTq14#
z= The two flight attendants were Amanda Holberg, 23, and Sandi Modaff, 27. Manus testified before the National Transportation Safety Board's hearing in January 2000 about the need for safety seats on airplanes and since the crash has been vocal on child-safety issues. The pilots deployed reverse thrusters and repeatedly deployed the brakes in an effort to stop the plane. AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT PB2001-910402 NTSB/AAR-01/02 DCA99MA060 RUNWAY OVERRUN DURING LANDING AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 1420 MCDONNELL DOUGLAS MD-82, N215AA LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS JUNE 1, 1999. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR0102.pdf (accessed November 15, 2022). by "[8], "Three compensatory damages trials involving domestic Plaintiffs were ultimately tried to a jury and awards of $5.7 million, $3.4 million and $4.2 million were made. Ten passengers and the pilot in command received fatal injuries, while many of the other passengers were seriously injured, and the aircraft was destroyed. Before then, the flight crew, having notice of the possible inclement weather in Little Rock, took an uncontroversial "wait-and-see" attitude to landing, having the ability at any time to divert the aircraft's course to Nashville or another alternate location. The aircraft touched down on Runway 4R at 23:50:20. [1]:142The study found that pilots exhibited more recklessness if they fell behind schedule, if they were attempting to land at night and if aircraft in front of them successfully landed in similar weather. Not only in chess games. If you feel you may be in need of legal services, personallyemail an attorneyfrom Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. Alumni profile: Flight 1420 Crash. Ouachita Stories, Ouachita Baptist University, February 27, 2020. https://obu.edu/stories/circle/2020-winter/alumni-profile-flight-1420-crash.php (accessed November 15, 2022). This was backed by fatigue (the Captain had been awake for 16 hours at the time), failure to follow crosswind guidelines, and the use of reverse thrust. Eleven people were killed and 110 were injured when the plane went off the end of the runway, broke. It was at 23:34:05 when the crew started contact with the ATC of Little Rock, and was informed by them that there were thunderstorms at the north west, and was closing in to the airport. Eleven people died, including the pilot. Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests. On June 1, 1999, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 (registration number 215AA) overran the runway upon landing in Little Rock and crashed. ONE Forgotten Checklist Cause Disastrous Accident | American airline 1420 - YouTube 0:00 / 8:46 #visioninsight ONE Forgotten Checklist Cause Disastrous Accident | American airline 1420. The flight originated in Chicago, Illinois, flying to Salt Lake City, Utah, before flying to Dallas/Fort Worth. Air Crash Investigations Mayday s12E12 Seconds to Survive Santa Brbara Airlines Flight 518. According to the PSC's theory, a reasonable jury could find that the flight crew neglected to deploy the spoilers because they became distracted and had too much to do as a result of their egregious decision to land the aircraft in the inclement weather. ?1b`j+"|W00`W\A#FiPnN Air crash investigations : Egyptair flight 990 - part2. It was Flight 1420's co-pilot, Michael Origel. The NTSB conducted extensive testing to determine whether the automatic spoiler and brake systems had been armed by the pilots before landing. HWn}W6]O{crm2D60'0$R4LSRHpU9jX9kg6XwGGTo.N6G*Q?S2emQ#cN_btV!rV_'3Far+OOnd*+g'kVd=OqiZ'
nx=WNK(3=gY+_DSa#h `Y%{'s;a&NKvU;vCfwpCO*qT)|d'k/tY|m=p(aAHRS|4BN"0703 y^B}PUKwL:9FGXc;L)`91AKau k' While it was not delineated as such, some of the award was to compensate Chu for pain and suffering. Contents 1 Aircraft 2 Flight crew 3 Flight and weather conditions 4 Crash 5 Investigation Four survivors were airlifted to hospitals. American Airlines Flight 965 was a regularly scheduled flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, to Alfonso Bonilla Aragn International Airport in Cali, Colombia.On December 20, 1995, the Boeing 757-200 flying this route (registration N651AA) crashed into a mountain in Buga, Colombia, around 9:40 pm killing 151 of the 155 passengers and all eight crew members. Unable to directly approach the aircraft due to lower elevation at the end of the runway, the trucks had to backtrack to an access road and approach the crash. At the time of the incident, the plane had 49,136 flight hours and 27,103 cycles (take-offs and landings). is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, Illinois. The storm made it difficult for the aircrew to clearly see the airport. The flight crew performed some but not all of the steps on the landing checklist. The flight claimed the lives of 11 people, including the captain, and 105 passengers received serious or minor injuries, including the first officer and flight . David Ozmun of Arkadelphia read newspaper accounts for a few days and then stopped paying attention. Merryman, Jon. Special thanks to the Department of Arkansas Heritage. The jury, described by both sides as "the voice of the community," was comprised of three computer-industry professionals, a Baptist minister's wife, a teacher, a man who'd suffered injuries after a hand grenade exploded near him during Navy duty, the head of security for Baptist Medical Center and an oncology nurse. It has been stated the jury verdict completely absolved Captain Buschmann of all fault for the crash. A total of ten passengers and one crew member died as a result of the crash. 19990601-0. The aircraft involved in the crash was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82. August 22-23, 2000 . In the only liability trial arising out of the crash of flight 1420, a federal jury in Little Rock awarded Captain Buschmann's family $2 million in wrongful death damages in a lawsuit they filed against the Little Rock National Airport. Contents The largest jury awards were for survivors from the Ouachita Baptist University college choir,. The decision to take off, and the conduct during the flight up to this time, cannot reasonably be deemed negligent, let alone sufficiently reckless to justify a punitive damages award. publication date. [1]:21The flight crew also failed to setlanding flaps, another item on the pre-flight checklist, but as the plane descended past 1,000 feet (300m), the first officer realized the flaps were not set and the flight crew set a 40-degree flap setting for landing.[1]:123. The plane had been flying through a thunderstorm before it crashed. Two international passengers have taken their cases to trial. American Airlines "admitted liability for the crash and individual trials were scheduled to assess the proper amount of compensatory damages. After more than 10 hours of deliberating, a federal jury Wednesday awarded Nancy Chu $5.7 million for mental and physical injuries she received in the crash of American Airlines Flight. 1:22:51. Copyright 2023, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Gregory "Al" Slader (First Officer) Continued . The largest jury awards were for survivors from the Ouachita Baptist University college choir, who were returning on Flight 1420 from a trip to Europe. AA1420 departed Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) at 22:40 local time bound for Little Rock. From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. 0 references. Ten passengers and the pilot in command received fatal injuries, while many of the other passengers were seriously injured, and the aircraft was destroyed. AA Flight 1420. Judge Woods separated the passenger cases into those involving domestic and international passengers, because different laws governed the rights of the claimants in each category. Text is available under the Creative . New York brokerage firm Cantor Fitzgerald confirmed Tuesday that it has agreed to settle with American Airlines for $135 million in a lawsuit seeking damages from the September 11, 2001, terrorist . ]U 1JKU&={,kFDF'^tCcLOoZmSj9gp ]t&^BL"I;0qFo.3 `_[=Y0-}_%-OY
nENS1y }U5wq\PKSBIk"LF >pLe1Q;3)~!cYK:QZ W|BA4j;iljmM,}8OzEbm"HXO$&Haepz-56}iGJl-X\|I3W
F4p/Z*8&i*:i$b*U$4IgKHmP@Z+Ms~EUG?LfpDS{L?I~P
At 23:49:32, the controller issued the last weather report before Flight 1420 landed, advising that winds at the airport were 330 degrees at 25 knots. He was referring to Rachel Fuller, 14, who had been traveling with her father, OBU choir director Charlie Fuller, and died days after the crash from her injuries. : 10 Buschmann graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1972, and served in the Air Force until 1979. "Of course, this time of year is even more memory-filled than other times of the year.". N215AA's final position, having overrun the runway and crashed into the runway approach lights, An American Airlines MD-82 similar to the one involved, Seat chart for American Airlines Flight 1420 created by the, upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/American_Airlines_Flight_1420_seat_injury_chart.svg/440px-American_Airlines_Flight_1420_seat_injury_chart.svg.png, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, The events of Flight 1420 were featured in "Racing the Storm", a. Search for Tokyo flights on KAYAK now to find the best deal. Congressional and Regulatory Correspondence. The aircraft then collided with a structure built to support the approach lights for Runway 22L, which extended out into theArkansas River. David Sesser Ozmun and Fuller were hopeful that a monument, erected last year by the airport to honor the dead, the survivors and their families, would provide some closure. Worth (KDFW) to Little Rock, Arkansas (KLIT) on June 1, 1999. That's not something Ozmun wants to get wrapped up in. "After six years, if I were to dwell on it, it would become more of a mental thing for me," he said. 'ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT -Thank you for your visit. "Causation is ordinarily a fact question for the jury to decide," Arthur v. Zearley, 337 Ark. "[10], A 2004 memorial ceremony was held adjacent to the airport. ]:^V+M'O
endstream
endobj
2 0 obj
<>stream
[9], In the only liability trial arising out of the crash of Flight 1420, a federal jury in Little Rock awarded Captain Buschmann's family $2 million in wrongful-death damages following a lawsuit they had filed against Little Rock National Airport. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Additional support provided by the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation Inc. From a total of 1,952 thunderstorm encounters, 1,310 pilots (67 percent) flew into thunderstorms during landing attempts. National Transportation Safety Board report ID. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use. [1]:157The report states that sleep deprived individuals are likely to try the same method of problem solving again and again without looking at alternative options. He, too, was considered to be a competent pilot by colleagues and he had accumulated more than 5,000 flight hours. On June 1, 1999, at 2350:44 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N215AA, crashed after it overran the end of runway 4R during landing at Little Rock National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. American Airlines flight 1420's seating chart - NTSB. [1]:116, Flight 1420 was commanded byCaptainRichard Buschmann, age 48, a very experienced chief pilot with 10,234 total flight hours, of which approximately half were accumulated flying the MD-80 series of aircraft. Survivor Jeana Varnell attended the ceremony and, in a newspaper article, strongly objected to memorializing Captain Buschmann.[14]. [1]:55, After Flight 1420 and the Palm Springs incident, American Airlines revised its checklist so that pilots would confirm that the spoilers are armed for auto-deployment before landing, confirm spoiler deployment and deploy spoilers manually if they had failed to automatically deploy.[1]:87[5]. The safety board made note in its preliminary reports that Manus' youngest child, Emily, now 4, was better protected during the crash because she was strapped into a child safety seat. dC$;Aj&M%X Without these deployed, even manually, the plane landed and kept sliding down the runway. American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to Little Rock National Airport in USA. American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Little Rock National Airport. Hotard said the company has not decided if it will pursue an appeal. As the aircraft landed, it ran off the end of the runway and broke apart. The NTSB released its report in October 2001 and blamed the pilot, Capt. [1]:134135Directional control was lost when Captain Buschmann applied too much reverse thrust, which reduced the effectiveness of the plane's rudder and vertical stabilizer. The NTSB report cited fatigue as a contributing factor. [1]:167Autospoilers and autobrakes are essential to ensure the plane's ability to stop within the confines of a wet runway, especially one that is being subjected to strong and gusting winds. Spoilers disrupt the airflow over the wings, prevent them from generating lift, and cause more of the plane's weight to be borne by the landing gear. 9 of the 145 people aboard were immediately killedthe captain and 8 passengers. The safety issues in this report focus on flight crew performance, flight crew decision-making regarding operations in adverse weather, pilot fatigue, weather information dissemination, emergency response, frangibility of airport structures, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight. ?On June 1, 1999, at 2350:44 central daylight time, American Airlines flight 1420, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-82 (MD-82), N215AA, crashed after it overran the end of runway 4R during landing at Little Rock National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. In a later interview,Greg Feith, the lead NTSB investigator, said he was surprised to learn that pilots exhibited this behavior. Track American Airlines (AA) #2069 flight from Chicago O'Hare Intl to Salt Lake City Intl. ", The compensatory damages claims proceeded first. The plane touched down at 11:50 p.m., and the first officer stated that the aircraft was sliding. Two people also died more than 30 days after the crash, bringing the total fatalities to 137. July 25, 2000 28 October 2013. Air Crash Investigations - Cracks in the System (Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101) HDvideomusic. I was able to dump my mess onto them and they made sense of it all and explained everything along the way, RAPOPORT WEISBERG & SIMS P.C. American Eagle Flight 4184 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Indianapolis, Indiana to Chicago, Illinois, United States. "We're very pleased. [1]:10Buschmann graduated from theUnited States Air Force Academyin 1972, serving in theAir Forceuntil 1979. Jetliner Crashes in LR. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 2, 1999, pp. Animation of American Airlines Flt 1420 accident - YouTube 0:00 / 0:58 Animation of American Airlines Flt 1420 accident 125,368 views May 27, 2007 This NTSB animation shows the last. Since then, I haven't followed it closely," Ozmun said. Flight 1420 carried 145 individuals: 139 passengers, two pilots and four flight attendants. The captain and 10 passengers were killed; the first officer, four flight attendants and 105 passengers were American Airlines Penerbangan 1420 merupakan sebuah penerbangan terjadwal American Airlines dari Dallas menuju Little Rock pada 1 Juni 1999. . In upholding summary judgment for American Airlines on punitive damages the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit explained: We agree with the district court that the only conduct that might support an award of punitive damages was that of Captain Buschmann and First Officer Origel in the last sixteen minutes of the flight, that is, their conduct beginning with the decision to continue the approach into Little Rock after the air traffic controller there confirmed that a thunderstorm had hit the airport. &Al\Q-BXU+a})NG}e/.gyk%||Gn-vgM:zREQ
3BijTmdqjCvFPJbS!u^zDUfn 6Xp> N+o-/han8AfC]? The personal injury attorneys at Rapoport Weisberg & Sims P.C. [1]:10The first officer had been with the airline for less than a year, and had only 182 hours of flight time with American Airlines as an MD-80 pilot. Speaking with Little Rock Air Traffic Control at 11:34, the pilots were informed of a thunderstorm northwest of the airport with wind measuring at twenty-eight knots and gusts up to forty-four knots. Contents Aircraft Flight crew Flight and weather conditions Crash Investigation Automatic spoiler and brake systems The crash resulted in 11 fatalities and dozens of serious injuries among the 145 onboard. By contrast, Ozmun isn't looking for more answers at the latest trial. [1]:47[4]First Officer Origel, three of the four flight attendants, and 41 passengers sustained serious injuries, the remaining flight attendant and 64 passengers sustained minor injuries, and 24 passengers sustained no injuries.[1]:47. The automatic spoiler and braking systems is crucial for landing on a wet runway since they prevent lift and force more weight onto the landing gear. Hi there! If you can, provide 1-2 sources of information backing up this correction. Multiple hospitals treated survivors, including Arkansas Childrens Hospital, Arkansas Heart Hospital, Baptist Medical Center, St. Vincent Hospital, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center. [1]:135136, The aircraft continued past the end of the runway, traveling another 800 feet and striking a security fence and an ILS localizer array. His background in political science and economics gives him unique insight into issues surrounding international travel and governmental regulations. [1]:6The reported winds exceeded the MD-82's 20-knot crosswind limit for landing in reduced visibility on a wet runway. Ten passengers and the pilot were killed. [1]:12, The aircraft was equipped withX-bandweather radar, which is susceptible toattenuationduring heavy precipitation, and did not have an attenuation alert to warn the flight crew of system impairment during heavy rainfall. Contents American Airlines Flight 1420 was a flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Little Rock National Airport in the United States. Air Crash Investigations - S01E01 - Racing the Storm (American Airlines Flight 1420) Comedy Central. "The structures prevented the plane from going into the river and we don't know what would have happened then, but what actually did happen included the death of the daughter of one of my best friends," said Ozmun, who managed to escape the crash with only minor injuries because he was sitting in the exit row. Air crash investigation. Donations made to the CALS Foundation are tax-deductible for United States federal income tax purposes. The punitive damages claim concerned a sexual affair with an American Airlines employee, Jim Struthers, who was sent to care for Chu in Little Rock after the June 1, 1999, crash at Little Rock National Airport, Adams Field. Animations. However, at 23:39 a controller advised the crew of a wind-shear alert and a change in wind direction. Diversionary airports for the flight were Nashville, Tennessee, and Dallas/Fort Worth. 45:00. The content published on this website was not written by medical professionals and should not, at any point, be mistaken for medical advice. %PDF-1.6
%
On the punitive issue, Branson said he felt Chu has achieved a moral victory, since the jury felt strongly enough to make a statement about it. Flight 1420 departed from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, about 2240 with 2 flight crewmembers, 4 flight attendants, and 139 passengers aboard and touched down in Little Rock at 2350:20. By 23:39, a warning by ATC stated runway 22L was facing a wind shear and changing wind direction, with Captain Richard Buschmann opting to switch to 04R instead, just 11 minutes before landing. The weather, along with confusion about the exact location of the aircraft, led to the crash being discovered at 12:01 a.m. when firefighters saw the burning plane in the distance. Contributing to the accident were the flight crew's (1) impaired performance resulting from fatigue and the situational stress associated with the intent to land under the circumstances, (2) continuation of the approach to a landing when the company's maximum crosswind component was exceeded, and (3) use of reverse thrust greater than 1.3 engine pressure ratio after landing. Aircraft [ edit] N215AA, the aircraft involved in the accident, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, one year before the crash. Since this structure was not made to break and reduce impact, the left side of the fuselage was directly hit and split from the rest of the plane. [1]:1516The pilots also failed to set the plane's automatic braking system. The NTSB has resumed hearings on the June 1 crash of American Airlines Flight 1420. Landing flaps were only deployed by the First Officer at 1,000 feet from the runway. 2:57. If you want to play well, try to find and avoid some mistakes in training, and in next games. [1]:23, Air traffic control at Little Rock had originally told Flight 1420 to expect an approach to runway 22L. The jury has spoken about who was to blame for the 1999 crash of an American Airlines jet that killed 11 people, but the National Transportation Safety Board isn't listening. Aviation Accident Report - TWA flight 800, Atlantic Ocean Near East Moriches, New York, July 17, 1996. American Airlines Flight 1420 By Christian, Gonzalez SFTY 330- Aircraft Accident Investigation Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University April 20, 2015 Abstract Flight 1420 of American Airlines claimed the lives of 11 passengers on June 1, 1999. When a tribute gift is given the honoree will receive a letter acknowledging your generosity and a bookplate will be placed in a book. 2023 Encyclopedia of Arkansas. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. [1]:42The NTSB also conducted ground tests on similar aircraft, including another American Airlines MD-80 for which the autospoiler system failed to deploy during a runway overrun, an event inPalm Springs, Californiathat did not result in destruction of the aircraft. On June 1, 1999, the McDonnell Douglas MD-82 operating as Flight 1420 overran the runway upon landing in Little Rock and crashed. Pre-European Exploration, Prehistory through 1540, European Exploration and Settlement, 1541 through 1802, Louisiana Purchase through Early Statehood, 1803 through 1860, Civil War through Reconstruction, 1861 through 1874, Post-Reconstruction through the Gilded Age, 1875 through 1900, Early Twentieth Century, 1901 through 1940, World War II through the Faubus Era, 1941 through 1967, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform, 19682022, Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), University of ArkansasPulaski Technical College, https://obu.edu/stories/circle/2020-winter/alumni-profile-flight-1420-crash.php, https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR0102.pdf, Divergent Prosperity and the Arc of Reform (1968-2022). N215AA experianced severe thunderstorms along the flight path. The affair began nine days after the crash while Struthers was still on his Customer Assistance Relief Effort, or CARE, Team assignment. American Airlines Flight 1420 The flight crew was unable to control Flight 1420 during inclement weather, causing the aircraft to overshoot the runway, crash into a chain-link fence and strike an anchored stanchion in Little Rock, Arkansas. (APA) serves as the certified collective bargaining agent for the 15,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines. [3], The flight'sfirst officerwas Michael Origel, age 35. stated in. Pranjal is enthusiastic about new aircraft types and has his stories regularly picked up by renowned publications including Forbes. Sitelinks. American has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $95,000. The plane'scockpit voice recorder(CVR) was reviewed, and no sounds consistent with the spoiler arming or automatically deploying were recorded by the CVR. [1]:4, The pilots rushed to land as soon as possible, leading to errors in judgment that included the crew's failure to complete the airline's pre-landing checklist before landing. &8 O5i{y&FJQT ")4XQ
`f].qK0c.- @c}e:*WwGET5= D,#`0[qpmpv7o|&{(8ppJTv!>2^tn+,ue3T:Nh8ECok8Agyi7#/M,iEYS[wN-68wlm7%_&nCYH$O?IL|_a1 Np6l*d6&x,E w|Nq N qP
O
w"R?~bdbmdlw %
endstream
endobj
83 0 obj
<>stream
The flight crew could not take off after 11:16 p.m., as doing so would put them over the daily maximum number of flying hours. So, it is reasonable to argue the captain has been absolved of all fault in relation to the crash., On the other hand, he said: The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of the crash was the flight crews failure to discontinue the approach when severe thunderstorms and their associated hazards to flight operations had moved into the airport area and the crews failure to ensure that the spoilers had extended after touchdown. Additionally, the passenger injury and wrongful death cases were based on allegations of pilot error, and the airline admitted liability in all of these cases.