Waugh v. Morgan Stanley & Co.
| Decision Date | 01 March 2012 |
| Docket Number | No. 06L5121,No. 10L4345 (cons.),No. 08L613,No. 06L1410,No. 06L6532,06L1410,06L5121,06L6532,08L613,10L4345 (cons.) |
| Citation | 2012 IL App (1st) 102653 |
| Parties | LISA WAUGH, as Surviving Spouse of Michael Patrick Waugh, Deceased, and as Special Administrator of the Estate of Michael Patrick Waugh, and as Mother and Natural Guardian of Joseph Waugh, Jordan Waugh and Jameson Waugh, Minor Children, Plaintiff, v. MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY, INCORPORATED, and DONNA TUREK, Independent Administrator of the Estate of Mark Turek, Deceased, Defendants (DONNA TUREK, Independent Administrator of the Estate of Mark Turek, Deceased; Morgan Stanley and Company, Inc., et al., Counter/Plaintiff-Appellant and Cross-Appellee, Randall D. Repke, Independent Executor of the Estate of Kenneth Knudson, Deceased; H.K. Golden Eagle, Inc.; Sybaris Clubs International, Inc.; Galt Airport, L.L.C.; and Recurrent Training Center, Inc.; Arr-ow 2, Inc., d/b/a Glass Simulator Center; Gene Littlefield Advanced Simulator Systems, d/b/a Glass Simulator Center; Howard D. Levinson; and Hark Corporation, Counter/Defendants-Appellees and Cross-Appellants). JENNIFER E. GARLAND, Independent Administrator of the Estate of Scott A. Garland, Deceased, Plaintiff, v. T.W. SMITH ENGINE COMPANY, INC., a Corporation, et al., Defendants (Howard Levinson and Hark Corporation, Defendants-Appellees; Randall Repke, as Independent Executor of the Estate of Kenneth Knudson, Deceased, Counter/Plaintiff and Cross-Appellant; Donna Turek, Independent Administrator of the Estate of Mark Turek; Morgan Stanley and Company, Incorporated; Morgan Stanley DW, Incorporated; Counter/Defendants, Recurrent Training Center, Inc.; Arr-ow 2, Inc., d/b/a Glass Simulator Center; and Gene Littlefield Advanced Simulator Systems, d/b/a Glass Simulator Center, Counter/Defendants and Cross-Appellees). LISA A. WAUGH, as Surviving Spouse of Michael Patrick Waugh, Deceased, and as Special Administrator of the Estate of Michael Patrick Waugh, and as Mother and Natural Guardian of Joseph Waugh, Jordan Waugh, and Jameson Waugh, Minor Children, Plaintiff, v. MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY, INCORPORATED and THE ESTATE OF MARK TUREK, Defendants (Morgan Stanley and Company, Incorporated, Third-Party Plaintiff-Appellant, Howard D. Levinson and Hark Corporation, et al., Third-Party Defendants and Appellees. LISA A. WAUGH, as Surviving Spouse of Michael Patrick Waugh, Deceased, and as Special Administrator of the Estate of Michael Patrick Waugh, and as Mother and Natural Guardian of Joseph Waugh, Jordan Waugh, and Jameson Waugh, Minor Children, Plaintiff, MORGAN STANLEY AND COMPANY, INCORPORATED and THE ESTATE OF MARK TUREK, Defendants (Morgan Stanley and Company, Inc.; Third-Party Plaintiff-Appellant, Howard D. Levinson and Hark Corporation, et al., Third-Party Defendants-Appellees). |
| Court | United States Appellate Court of Illinois |
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Cook County.
FOURTH DIVISION
Nos. 1-10-2653, 1-10-2662, 1-10-2885, 1-10-3410 (cons.)
The Honorable Irwin J. Solganick, Judge Presiding.
Justice Pucinski dissented, with opinion.
OPINION¶ 1 The instant cause involves multiple actions stemming from claims brought following a fatal airplane crash. Appellants Morgan Stanley Company, the estate of Scott Garland, and the estate of Mark Turek appeal from orders of the trial court granting partial summary judgment to appellees Howard Levinson and Hark Corporation on all claims alleging educational malpractice. Appellants contend that the trial court erred by characterizing their claim as sounding in the tort of educational malpractice rather than ordinary negligence. Counterdefendant-appellee Recurrent Training Center, Inc., challenges this court's jurisdiction of this cause and asks that we dismiss the cross-appeal filed against it as untimely. For the following reasons, we affirm.
¶ 3 These consolidated appeals stem from a fatal plane crash. On January 30, 2006, Mark Turek, the pilot in command of a Cessna 421B aircraft,1 and three passengers, Kenneth Knudson, Scott Garland, and Michael Waugh, were en route from a Kansas airport to the Palwaukee Municipal Airport in Wheeling, Illinois, following a business trip. As Turek piloted the Cessna 421B for landing at the airport, the aircraft crashed, killing all four occupants on board.
¶ 4 Prior to the occurrence, Turek received flight simulator training from defendant Arr-ow II, In., flight instruction from defendant Recurrent Training Center (Recurrent), and a five-hour flight observation and instruction from defendant Levinson. Multiple wrongful death and contribution actions were commenced subsequent to the incident, and those actions were later consolidated for discovery at the circuit court. The Waugh, Knudson, and Garland plaintiffs allfiled complaints against multiple defendants, including Morgan Stanley and Turek. Defendant/third-party plaintiff Morgan Stanley filed third-party complaints and counterclaims for contribution in the Waugh, Knudson, and Garland actions against defendants/third-party defendants Levinson and Hark. Defendants/counterplaintiffs Levinson and Hark filed a counterclaim for contribution against Arr-ow, alleging negligent instruction.
¶ 5 In their complaints, the plaintiffs alleged, in pertinent part, that their decedents' deaths were proximately caused by the negligence of Turek and Morgan Stanley, as well as other parties. Allegations included that Morgan Stanley's employee, Turek, piloted the aircraft in a negligent manner and that Morgan Stanley was vicariously liable for Turek's negligence. In its third-party complaint and counterclaims for contribution, Morgan Stanley, along with other parties, alleged that Arr-ow and Recurrent (flight schools) negligently provided flight training to Turek, which contributed to the crash.
¶ 6 Morgan Stanley and the other parties also alleged that Levinson, who provided Turek with in-flight instruction on the accident aircraft, negligently failed to adequately and properly train and instruct Turek as to how to operate the aircraft. They alleged that Hark was vicariously liable for Levinson's negligent training.2 Defendant Turek also filed counterclaims for contribution against Levinson and Hark.
¶ 7 Prior to January 2006, Turek was fully licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly twin-engine aircraft, including the accident aircraft. From January 6 through January 9, 2006, Turek completed a flight training course with Recurrent to transition from his Baron B55 twin-engine plane to the Cessna 421B. Previous to taking this course, Turek had 1,284.05 hours of total flight experience, including over 1,050 hours in multi-engine aircraft. Turek had piloted a Cessna 421B aircraft for over 29 hours. At the time he completed the Recurrent course, Turek had been an FAA-licensed pilot for nine years. There is no argument made that Turek was not properly qualified to pilot the subject aircraft under FAA regulations.
¶ 8 The Recurrent program, course materials, and training that Turek completed complied with FAA regulations and was FAA certified. The twin Cessna flight training device used by Turek during his training session at Recurrent was FAA certified, qualified, calibrated, and routinely inspected by the FAA.
¶ 9 Recurrent students are experienced pilots who have obtained their FAA pilot's license and ratings. Recurrent flight instructor Kyle Lyons testified at deposition that Turek, when completing his training coursework at Recurrent, demonstrated through performance and testing that he was fully proficient, competent, and prepared to fly. He also demonstrated that he was aware of the specifics of a Cessna 421B aircraft. Specifically, Turek completed a Cessna 421B workbook which was reviewed by a Recurrent instructor to verify that Turek was familiar with all information specific to the Cessna 421B. Turek was provided with information on Cessna 421B power settings, speeds, and other procedures for operating in the landing phase of flight. Additionally, Turek's one-on-one training included operations and performance training specificto the Cessna 421B. There was no indication during the Recurrent coursework and evaluation that Turek had any difficulties with regard to descending, turning, speed, or otherwise controlling the aircraft in the airport environment. Turek was taught Cessna 421B stall speeds, proper engine operation, and fuel management.
¶ 10 In 2005, Turek successfully completed 33 hours of recurrent twin-engine instrument proficiency training with Eugene Littlefield, his instructor at Arr-ow. According to Littlefield's deposition testimony, Turek was already a qualified and proficient twin-engine pilot at that time. In Littlefield's opinion, Turek was always in control of the airplane, displayed good techniques, procedures, and cockpit management, and was a very proficient pilot. Littlefield opined that Turek was a fully trained, safe, competent, and qualified multi-engine pilot.
¶ 11 After completing training at both Arr-ow and Recurrent, Turek flew the subject aircraft for an additional five hours in January 2006 under the observation of Levinson, a partial owner of Hark, which had an ownership interest in HK Golden Eagle. Levinson testified at deposition that the purpose of the observation was for Levinson to observe Turek fly the subject aircraft and to provide the required hours to satisfy his insurance company requirements. At the time of the observation flight, Levinson was a certified flight instructor with an FAA rating as an airline transport pilot. Levinson was certified and rated for single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument flight, as well as an instructor for aircraft, instrument flight, and multi-engine aircraft. Levinson testified at deposition that Turek was a qualified pilot with many hours of flying experience in a Cessna 421B. The accident aircraft crashed at night while in a landing traffic pattern to land at Palwaukee airport. Much of Turek's...
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