As an aviation underwriter, I’ve seen a lot of crazy things in the last 30+ years, but this one has to be one of the dumbest ones I’ve seen.Seems a teenager with his brand NEW MUSTANG GT wanted to impress some of his buddies at the airport with the handing abilty of his new ride. It was a rainy sort of day, but undeterred, the kid feels ‘the show must go on’.In the aftermath of the incident, his automobile insurance carrier is going to get presented with a bill that will make them loose sleep!What we have here is a $450,000 Cessna 414 with estimated repair cost around $100,000, not to mention Loss of Use, and true dimunition of value. Anticated total claim around $150,000 by the time all is said and done. Not to mention damage to the kids brand new car.I can imagine his parents will not sleep well and good chance he reverts back to a bicycle because the kid can’t get insurance.And Now… Presenting - the first ever Mustang with the 5th wheel Mod…
While the only apparent damage is nothing more than the nose gear, it gets worse. It compromised a pressuriezed bulkhead, got the avionics rack and back side of the radar. When the gear got knocked out, the rest of the plane fell on the props, so at the least a dial inspection, more probable 2 engine teardowns for bent crankshaft flanges and 2 propellors and prop controllers. Also ripped the rear tie down ring out damaging the lower rudder and possibly elevators as well.
Wow, as an aviation mechanic, in reality, that aircraft is scrap. The fusalage is at least. The rudder is connected to that gear, and it looks tweeked. I’m sure that the yaw controls are all fuckin shot as the cables were ripped out at ultra high speed. The bulk of the money in that aircraft is avionics, engines, and interior. All of which can be swapped, but i would say the bill will go over 200k when its all said and done. That kids parents will never get insurance with a 200k claim, and I bet that it will end up in a long and painful court battle. Imagine being that aircraft owner, knowing full well that the insurance won’t pay for all those damages, and a plane you probably worked all your life was destroyed by some punk ass kid.
That’s what I was thinking. I just upped my property coverage but I don’t think I have enough to cover that. I’m not some moron who would drive into a plane though.
They will only get what he is insured up to. If the bill is 200K and he is only insured for 100K they will settle for the 100K. In order for them to get more than you are insured for they can’t take any money from the insurance company. They would have to sue you directly and chances are you will file for bankruptcy and they wont get much. In order to get the insurance money they have to agree that is all they can get and that the case is settled. They can’t take the insurance money and then go after you for more.
Well either you work for an airliner or in the military. The military being much easier to get into. So that was assumed. I was more or less caring about what his specifics are, and what airframe he is assigned to
