COMPANIES

Piper Seeks Protection From Creditors: Piper Aircraft of Vero Beach, Fla., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying the potential for plane-crash lawsuits had scared off potential lenders. Even though the famed light aircraft maker has a backlog of $100 million in orders, it has been unable to find financial backers after becoming self-insured four years ago, President C. Raymond Johnson said. Court decisions in recent years have held aircraft manufacturers liable for crashes, even when planes are 20 years old and have been modified by owners.