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Wrongful death suit filed in deadly airplane crash at Peter O. Knight Airport

 
Two men were killed after a small plane crashed on March 18 at Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands. The widow of the passenger in that plane recently filed suit against the pilot, who was also killed, and other entities in the fatal crash. [SKIP O’ROURKE | Times]
Two men were killed after a small plane crashed on March 18 at Peter O. Knight Airport on Davis Islands. The widow of the passenger in that plane recently filed suit against the pilot, who was also killed, and other entities in the fatal crash. [SKIP O’ROURKE | Times]
Published May 26, 2016

TAMPA — The widow of a man who died in a March plane crash at Peter O. Knight Airport filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week against several parties, including her husband's best friend who was piloting the plane. The lawsuit accused pilot Louis Caporicci of being unfit to fly and causing the death of Kevin Carreno.

The suit was filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court by Leann Carreno. Also named in the lawsuit are the two pilots of another aircraft that was taking off at the same time as Carreno's plane and the owners of both planes.

On March 18, Kevin Carreno joined friend and former U.S. Air Force Academy classmate Louis Caporicci on a flight aboard a Cessna 340 from Peter O. Knight Airport to Pensacola.

When Caporicci began to takeoff around 11:30 a.m., according to the National Transportation Safety Board, a Cessna 172 started its takeoff from a different runway. The two planes converged above the runways' intersection point shortly after takeoff.

Caporicci maneuvered to avoid striking the other plane, according to the NTSB, but stalled his own aircraft and crashed. Both men died.

The pilots of the Cessna 172 were David Lopez, who had just passed his private pilot certificate check ride, and his flight instructor, Dave Garner. Neither was injured.

The lawsuit said Caporicci, Garner and Lopez all operated their planes negligently and were unfit to fly. It also named Paul Gallizzi and Tampa Aviation Club Inc., the owners of the Cessna 172, and Ninerxray Inc., the owner of the Cessna 340, and said they're also liable for Kevin Carreno's death.