The producers of upcoming action film
American Made, starring Tom Cruise, are suing an aviation company that owned an aircraft that crashed during movie production – all while being sued by the estate of its deceased passengers.
According to court documents, Cross Creak Pictures claims that S&S Aviation was “negligent in failing to properly inspect, repair, maintain and ensure airworthiness” of the aircraft used in the making of the film.
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The Piper/Smith Aerostar 600 aircraft in question crashed in Colombia on September 11, 2015. American pilot Alan Purwin and Colombian pilot Carlos Berl were killed in the crash. A third passenger, Jimmy Lee Garland, survived the crash with serious injuries. The three had been hired for the movie to serve as pilots,
People reported.
The estates of the deceased victims have filed wrongful death lawsuits against Cross Creek Pictures, as well as Imagine Entertainment and Vendian Entertainment. The estates allege that the production companies ignored safety procedures before the flight as a way to save on costs.
“The impact of the loss of their father and only real parent simply cannot be overstated,” attorney Jeff Korek told
The Hollywood Reporter. “We hope to put a dent in the pocketbook of the motion picture industry. We want the industry to understand and practice one concept, which the Berl family would expect to be put ahead of all other considerations in the making of a film, namely, safety before profits at all times.”
The surviving families have reportedly filed suits against each other as well: Berl’s family is suing Garland, the only survivor. The suit states that it was Garland who was piloting the aircraft at the time of the crash – a claim Garland denies.
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