Northrop Grumman Sued Over Mallard Crash

Northrop Grumman Sued Over Mallard Crash - It's not often that a manufacturer is sued for allegedly defective products it hasn't built in almost 60 years but that's where Northrop Grumman finds itself. Chalk's Ocean Airways and its insurer AIG is suing the company over the crash of one of Chalk's Grumman Mallards in December of 2005, claiming the 58-year-old aircraft wasn't properly made.

I think most reasonable people would agree that an airplane flying for 60 years is not improperly made. Should we blame the manufacturer for not making a perfect machine that will last forever? I don't think so.

Should we blame the insurer and airline for trying to recoup their losses? Once again, I don't think so. They're simply trying to preserve their wealth by following the path allowed by law.

Surely then someone is to blame for such a ridiculous situation? Greedy lawyers? Activist courts? No. No.

It's the people who write the laws, those who sit in Congress and state legislatures. They're the ones who create the rules we live under, and when those rules discourage the manufacture of things we need and desire, then they should be rewritten.

The 1994 General Aviation Revitalization Act was a good start. But if something like suing Grumman is still allowed, we need to take another swipe at it.