The federal court has dismissed a Korean pilot and a China-based travel agency from a lawsuit filed in federal court by six passengers of a plane that crashed at the Saipan International Airport in 2012.<\/p>\n
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona dismissed pilot Jae Choi and Tianing Travel Agency from the lawsuit in an order Thursday.<\/p>\n
Manglona said the court will dismiss Choi and Tianing Travel Agency from the lawsuit to preserve the court\u2019s diversity jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiversity jurisdiction does not encompass foreign plaintiffs suing foreign defendants,\u201d said Manglona, citing precedent.<\/p>\n
All six passengers of a Piper Cherokee aircraft, including one who died when the plane crashed at the Saipan International Airport in 2012, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs are Weilian Lu, Yixiao Ge, Xin Hong, Meilin Zhou, Xiaohua Zhou, and Xiuzhong Zhu, all Chinese citizens.<\/p>\n
Xiaojie Ge is representing his wife, Lu, who died, and their minor child, Yixiao Ge. Attorney Mark B. Hanson and the Los Angeles-based Girardi law firm are counsels for plaintiffs.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs are suing Choi, Star Marianas Air Inc., Marianas Air Travel, Tinian Transportation Management Solutions Inc., Tianing Travel Agency, Century Tours, Top Development Inc., and 100 unnamed co-defendants, for negligence, wrongful death, and negligent infliction of emotional distress.<\/p>\n
In addition, the plaintiffs are suing Star Marianas Air for fraud.<\/p>\n
Last Jan. 6, the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed Century Tours from the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs are demanding unspecified amount of damages, compensation, attorney\u2019s fees, and court costs.<\/p>\n
According to the complaint, a seven-passenger Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six being piloted by Choi crashed into the trees north of the runway at Francisco C. Ada\/Saipan International Airport on Nov. 19, 2012.<\/p>\n
The plane was being operated by Star Marianas Air, chartered by Marianas Air Travel, and maintained by Tinian Transportation Management Solutions.<\/p>\n
Hanson said all the plaintiffs were aboard this flight except for the minor, Ge.<\/p>\n
Hanson said the flight was to shuttle six plaintiffs to the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino as part of a trip package put together by Tianing and Top Development.<\/p>\n
While taking off at 6:20am, the plane allegedly lost power and nose-dived into the trees adjoining the north side of the runway. A fire then ensued.<\/p>\n
Hanson said the crash and fire killed Lu and injured Choi and five of the passengers.<\/p>\n
The lawyer noted that the aircraft was manufactured in 1969 and at the time of the crash had already accrued 6,805 hours of service.<\/p>\n
Hanson cited that Star Marianas has now been involved in a number of plane crashes and incidents since mid-2012.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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