Ag Plane Crash Leads to $6.7 Million Wrongful Death Verdict

Stephen Pope

Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 08:56 PM ET

Verified

Meteorological Evaluation Towers

Key Takeaways:

Experienced ag pilot Steve Allen died after crashing into an unlit, unmarked 199-foot meteorological evaluation tower (MET) erected by wind energy interests.
These METs are intentionally kept just under 200 feet to circumvent FAA requirements for lighting and reporting, thereby posing a significant, hidden danger to low-flying aircraft, particularly ag pilots.
A $6.7 million wrongful death settlement was awarded to Allen's family, with the hope that it will prompt the wind industry to adequately mark such towers and prevent similar tragedies.

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When Steve Allen, a highly respected Northern California ag pilot with 26,000 accident free hours, crashed his Rockwell S-2R into a whisper-thin, barely visible galvanized steel wind observation tower on January 11, 2011, a dark and sickening secret about personal greed and avarice was exposed for all the world to see.

The $6.7 million wrongful death settlement the aviator’s family was awarded this month will hopefully help ensure other similar tragedies won’t happen in the future.