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"Family Settles Suit Over Midway Runway Accident"
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Family Settles Suit Over Runway Accident
The Associated Press
Southwest Airlines Co. has reached a settlement with the family of a
6-year-old boy who was killed when one of the airline's jets skidded off a
runway and slammed into a car in which he was riding.
Joshua Woods' parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Southwest and
Boeing Co., the plane's manufacturer, in Cook County Circuit Court nearly a
year ago. The suit alleged that both companies made mistakes and missteps
that led to the Dec. 8, 2005, accident at Midway International Airport.
A spokeswoman for Dallas-based Southwest said Monday that the airline and
the Woods family were the only parties to the settlement reached in
February. Calls to the family's attorneys and Chicago-based Boeing were not
immediately returned Monday evening.
Financial details of the settlement were not released.
"We know we cannot bring Joshua back, and we believe this settlement brings
a tragic and difficult situation to a close," the airline said in a
statement.
Joshua, of Leroy, Ind., was riding in a car with his family when Southwest
Airlines Flight 1248 landed in a snowstorm, skidded off Runway 31-C, through
an airport blast fence and into traffic.
The lawsuit alleged that Southwest was negligent for errors including
failing to properly land the Boeing 737 and attempting to land when
deteriorating weather conditions dictated that the plane should have been
diverted to another airport.
The family claimed Boeing shared some of the blame because of problems with
the plane's thrust reversers, which are used to slow down the aircraft.
Since the accident, the airport has installed a lightweight concrete bed
designed to collapse under the weight of an aircraft and stop planes from
overshooting the runway.
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