5 companies sued in Bloomington plane crash

Posted on April 10, 2017

By Eric Stock

CHICAGO – Two years after a fatal plane crash killed seven men in Bloomington, the wife of the pilot is suing five companies that were involved in the aircraft.

The Pantagraph reports Ami Hileman, the widow of Tom Hileman, filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Thursday, one day before the two-year anniversary of the crash.

The lawsuit claims the crash was caused by a failure of the left engine and turbo charger of the Cessna twin-engine propeller aircraft.

Synergy Flight Center, G&N Aircraft, Continental Motors Inc., RAM Aircraft and Aircraft Propeller Service were all named in the 22-count lawsuit which accuses them of negligence and breach of warranties.

The National Transportation and Safety Board issued a report on the crash last week, but it did not include a cause of the crash. The report indicated visibility was greatly reduced at the time of the crash and that the plane was beyond its maximum loading weight.

The report also indicates Hileman was not fatigued and in good health at the time of the crash.

Hileman and six passengers died in the crash; Scott Bittner, Andy Butler, Jason Jones, Aaron Leetch, Terry Stralow and Torrey Ward. The men were flying back from the college basketball national championship game in Indianapolis.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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