Families of Ski Gondola Victims Reportedly Accept Settlement
The families of all 20 people killed when a Marine jet clipped an Italian ski gondola two years ago have accepted settlements of nearly $2 million apiece, the attorney for five Belgian families said Tuesday.
C. Torrence Armstrong, a lawyer representing the Belgians, said his clients will drop a lawsuit seeking damages against the United States in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.
The settlements were accepted April 14, Armstrong said. He said the U.S. government is responsible for paying 75% of the $40 million total. Italy will pay the rest.
Efforts to reach the Pentagon for comment were unsuccessful.
The settlements end the civil lawsuits stemming from the Feb. 3, 1998, tragedy near Cavalese, Italy.
An EA-6B Prowler based in Cherry Point, N.C., was deployed at Aviano Air Base in Italy for missions over Bosnia-Herzegovina when it clipped the gondola cable during a training flight. All 20 people in the gondola died when it plummeted to the ground.
Investigators determined that the plane was flying too low and too fast.
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