Ill-fated balloon's pilot files lawsuit
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Updated: August 27, 2009 4:09 PM
A claim by the pilot of the ill-fated hot-air balloon that crashed in South Surrey two years ago is the latest in nearly two dozen suits and countersuits that have been filed in connection with the tragedy.
Stephen Pennock filed documents this week in B.C. Supreme Court, claiming for physical and emotional injuries that resulted.
Naming a number of companies, including the balloon manufacturer, Pennock is also claiming for lost income and other damages.
Pennock has yet to speak publicly about the Aug. 24, 2007 crash. However, longtime friend John Kageorge said Thursday the suit is, in part, an effort to ensure “responsible actions” in the industry.
“The one thing that we do know is there was a flaw in the equipment that caused this fire,” Kageorge said. “This whole fire came from a flaw in a valve.”
Langley mother and daughter Shannon and Gemma Knackstedt died after the Aerostar S77A they were passengers in caught fire during takeoff preparations at Hazelmere RV Park & Campground. Other passengers suffered various injuries when they jumped from the flaming basket as it rose.
Investigation determined a substantial fuel leak caused the uncontrolled blaze in the vessel’s cockpit.
The Transporation Safety Board’s final report on the crash, released last September, made recommendations including the use of emergency shutoff valves on propane tanks and better monitoring to ensure such balloons continue to meet safety standards.
In a statement released by Pennock that same day – announcing that Fantasy Balloon Charters had folded – he said it is “impossible to describe how much I regret this terrible incident.”
Many of the surviving passengers have filed suit, as have the Knackstedt family and owners of the mobile homes that were destroyed when the basket crashed. The owner-operator of the RV park is also seeking damages.
Kageorge said Pennock has been “extremely, extraordinarily focused” both on ensuring compensation for those affected, and on working with the appropriate agencies to prevent similar tragedies. That includes developing recommendations to increase the safety of such vessels.
Kageorge noted Pennock was operating within the standard practices of the industry at the time of the crash.
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