Two years since deadly Naples I-75 plane crash, owner continues lawsuit against manufacturers

NAPLES, Fla. (WINK)  — The legal fallout from a tragic aircraft accident continues two years after the deadly crash. Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter, Inc., and its affiliates filed a massive federal class-action lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida. The complaint targets engine manufacturer General Electric (GE) and aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, alleging that a known mechanical defect led to a catastrophic dual-engine failure.

The lawsuit stems from the February 9, 2024, incident involving a Bombardier Challenger 604 equipped with GE CF34-3B engines. During a flight, the aircraft suffered a "dual engine failure," resulting in a total loss of the plane after an emergency landing on I-75. The crash claimed the lives of expert pilots Edward Daniel Murphy and Ian Frederick Hofmann.

Allegations of Concealed Defects

The central claim of the lawsuit is that the engine failure was caused by a "non-recoverable dual rotating compressor stall" triggered by corrosion in the variable guide vane (VGV) systems. The plaintiffs allege that:

• Known Issues: GE has had actual knowledge of this corrosion susceptibility in the CF34 engine family since at least 2019.
• Cover-Up Efforts: The complaint alleges GE attempted to hide evidence of the defect, including video from secret inspections.
• Failure to Warn: GE allegedly failed to provide critical warnings to operators and instead revised service contracts to exclude full corrosion coverage.
• Selective Disclosure: While GE eventually issued service bulletins to commercial airline operators, business jet operators were allegedly excluded from these critical safety notices.

Multiple Defendants Named

While the focus is largely on GE, the lawsuit also names several other entities as defendants:

• Bombardier and Learjet: Accused of negligence in the design, certification, and maintenance of the Challenger 604 aircraft.
  
  
• Maintenance Providers: Turbine Engine Specialists, Inc. and Duncan Aviation, Inc. are named for allegedly failing to report evidence of corrosion during previous inspections of the subject aircraft.

Seeking Justice and Industry-Wide Safety

The plaintiffs—including Hop-A-Jet, Ace Aviation Services Corp., and East Shore Aviation, LLC—are seeking to represent a class of all similarly situated GE engine purchasers.

The legal action aims to consolidate all claims resulting from the disaster and recover hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Beyond financial recovery, the suit seeks injunctive relief to force GE to provide adequate notice to all owners of these engines to prevent future tragedies.

Barry Ellis, Hop-A-Jet’s Director of Operations, emphasized that the company's commitment remains focused on safety. "We're confident that the facts will be addressed in the proper forum, and hopefully the conclusion will help make aviation safer," Ellis stated.

Awaiting the NTSB Report

The proceedings come as the aviation community awaits the final report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). According to Ellis, the report is expected within 30 days and is anticipated to confirm that a mechanical failure caused the crash. Meanwhile, a separate wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of pilot Ian Hofmann remains on hold pending the NTSB's final findings.

Barry Ellis, Hop-a-Jet’s Director of Operations, spoke with Chief WINK Investigates Reporter Chorus Nylander and said he’s confident the final NTSB report will show the crash was due to a mechanical failure. He declined to address any specifics about what was alleged in the lawsuit.

"I wish we could, but we can't really discuss the litigation while it's ongoing. We respect the legal process and all the people involved. we're confident that the facts will be addressed in the proper forum, and hopefully the conclusion will help make aviation safer,” he said.

GE sent WINK News the following statement:

“We are deeply saddened by the accident and extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of those involved. Safety is our first priority, and our technical teams are supporting our customer and the National Transportation Safety Board’s ongoing investigation.”