By Philip Newman
A gasoline truck driver has sued American Airlines for $5 million for “serious and permanent injuries” that court papers said he suffered when a jet engine narrowly missed him in the Nov. 12 crash of Flight 587 at Belle Harbor.
Edwin DeVito, 38, of West Islip, L.I., filed the suit in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, claiming American Airlines was negligent in “operation, control and maintenance” of the jet that crashed at Beach 129th Street.
DeVito’s suit said he suffered injuries when the engine fell into the Texaco service station where he had arrived with a truckload of fuel.
The suit also asks $50,000 for Devito’s wife, Cami, for “loss of services, society and consortium” of her husband since the incident.
The crash of Flight 587 shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport killed all 260 persons aboard the plane and five people on the ground.
DeVito was thrown to the ground by the impact of the engine.
“Mr. DeVito sustained injury to his back as well as other injuries,” said his attorney, Andrew B. Siben, of Bayshore, L.I., “but his major injury has been psychological trauma, including recurrent nightmares. It was a horrible experience having this engine barely miss him and his truck loaded with gasoline.”
American Airlines declined comment.
The federal National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled a public hearing next month in Washington into the cause of the crash.
An extensive investigation has suggested the disintegration of the tail assembly of the Airbus A300-600 jet might have been, at least in part, caused by a peeling away of layers of composite materials from which the tail was made. Such materials are made up of epoxy and extremely strong carbon fibers.
However, several witnesses questioned in Belle Harbor reported to federal investigators they saw fire erupt from the plane before it crashed.
The jetliner was bound for Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 136.
