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Another lawsuit filed in crash at air race
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RENO -- The family of a Washington state man who was killed in September's crash at the Reno Air Races is filing a wrongful death lawsuit. It's the latest in a string of lawsuits filed after the crash, which killed 11 people and injured 70.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported that the lawsuit filed by the family of Gregory Morcum accused Reno Air Racing Association Inc. of having an unsafe event. Morcum was a spectator at the race. Among others, the lawsuit targets the estate of the pilot whose P-15 Mustang crashed into spectators.
Association officials said they haven't been served with the complaint and could not comment.
Officials have said planning for this year's air races is on schedule pending approval of permits. Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority lawyer Ann Morgan said the usual $100 million liability insurance for the event might not be enough because of the crash.
Morgan told a committee of the airport board Thursday that the National Transportation Safety Board's report on the crash and safety recommendations might not be complete before the Sept. 12 start of this year's event. If the report is released before the event, race officials are required to comply with any safety recommendations, the newspaper reported.
The airport board, landlord of race venue Reno Stead Airport, will take action later this year on race permits.
Mike Houghton, president of the Reno Air Racing Association, said planning for the event had to proceed before the NTSB investigation is completed. He said he's "totally satisfied with where (the board) is going" in the process.
During the public comment period, two Reno residents condemned race organizers' safety record.
Mike Mansur said a string of pilots had been killed in previous crashes, and last year's accident "opened the floodgates" to lawsuits that will continue after the NTSB report is made public.
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bgh.1986, Greg was just sitting watching the air show. Do you agree that watching air show should not carry that unreasonable risk of losing your life, don't you? I'm not a pro lawsuits but I do think that to lose your life just by watching an air show is too much of an unreasonable risk that should not be there.
"the lawsuit filed by the family of Gregory Morcum accused Reno Air Racing Association Inc. of having an unsafe event." Really, what's next? suing Sea World for having a theme park that smells like fish? Defying gravity is a dangerous hobby. What did the Morcum family think Greg was attending, a sewing circle?