Court Opinion

ID: 9649590
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 15:02:47.907655+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:12.836762
License: Public Domain

DISSENTING OPINION BY
PANELLA, J.:
¶ 1 While the majority opinion provides a thorough analysis and presents a perceptive expression of rationale for its decision to affirm the trial court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of TCM and Piedmont, I am obliged to dissent. As our standard of review dictates, after viewing the record in the light most favorable to the Appellants, as the non-moving parties, I would find that the trial court committed an error of law in granting summary judgment in favor of Piedmont. The record does not dearly show that no genuine issues of material fact exist. In addition, I am unable to conclude that reasonable minds cannot differ as to whether Piedmont performed its repair function in a manner which satisfied FAA airworthiness standards. The record ascertains that Appellants proffered the expert report of Allen J. Fiedler in support of their claim against Piedmont. In investigating the crash, and specifically the federal aviation regulations, Mr. Fiedler opined that
14 CFR Part 48.18 sets forth the performance rules such that each person performing maintenance or alteration of an engine shall use the methods, techniques and practices prescribed in the current manufacturer’s maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness prepared by the manufacturer or other methods, techniques, and practices acceptable to the FAA. Furthermore, each person who maintains or alters an engine shall do work in such a manner that the quality and condition of the engine will be at least equal to its original or properly altered condition. ... Piedmont being in the engine overhaul business among other aviation related activities, returned to service the subject engine after major overhaul. Piedmont utilized the TCM publications in effect at the time and returned the subject engine to service in accordance with those publications with inherent defects of a dangerous nature.
A.J. Fielder & Associates Report, 11/17/06 at 12. Further, Mr. Fielding stated that “the area on which the subject weld procedure was performed is a highly stressed area” and “welding should not be done in the highly stressed areas of a crankcase”, as evidenced and supported by the NTSB in safety recommendations resulting from their investigations of cyclinder separation accidents. Id. Accordingly, it was Mr. Fielding’s opinion that “the un-airworthy condition found in the subject engine crankcase is a direct cause of the separation of the # 2 cylinder of the subject *352engine” which caused a “loss of significant engine power and ultimately shut down the engine.” Id., at 12. As such, Mr. Fielding believed that “the crankcase weld repair location resulted in an un-airworthy condition and this condition was the proximate cause of the accident, the deaths and the destruction of the subject aircraft.” Id. at 13.
¶ 2 Based upon Mr. Fielding’s proffered report, I am inclined to find that the decision of whether Piedmont’s overhaul of the subject engine, and specifically the crankcase, left it in an unairworthy condition pursuant to FAA standards, and thus, a proximate or direct cause of the accident, should be left to the province of the fact-finder upon receipt of additional factual evidence and expert testimony at trial. Based upon the foregoing, I find that a genuine issue of material fact exists and, as such, I do not believe summary judgment was warranted in favor of Piedmont.
¶ 3 Accordingly, I respectfully dissent.