Question: Whatever happened to the lawsuit filed against Maui Island Air Inc. and the estate of Richard Rooney by the sister of a Maui County Planning Department employee killed in a plane crash on Lanai in 2014?
Answer: The suit filed in May 2014 is still pending, according to attorney Rick Fried, who is representing Heather Shannon, sister of Kathleen Kern, one of three people killed in the crash on Feb. 26, 2014.
Tremaine Balberdi, 53, who worked as a secretary for the Planning Department, and the pilot, Richard Rooney, 66, were also killed after the twin-engine Piper Navajo Chieftain went down in an area known as Miki Basin, a remote area near the airport. Kern, 50, worked as a project lead and senior planner on the Lanai Community Plan for the Planning Department.
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Lanai Airport. Debris from the two-engine aircraft stretched approximately 160 feet across the grounds.
Fried said they are awaiting the release of wreckage to allow their experts to inspect it.
"We have to look at the wreckage to get more information," said Fried noting the wreckage might be available for inspection approximately four months from now.
The National Transportation Safety Board is still inspecting the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash, a process that can take many months or even years.
Maui County had chartered a flight to take Planning Department employees back to Kahului after they attended a Planning Commission meeting.
Three people survived the crash: Deputy Corporation Counsel James Giroux, planner Douglas Miller and geographic information systems analyst Mark King. Giroux suffered serious injuries and Miller and King suffered critical injuries.
County spokesman Rod Antone said: "They’ve been through a lot of physical trauma and they’ve gone through rehabilitation but they’re doing the best they can. We are extremely grateful to have them back with us."
Giroux is currently on a leave of absence for personal reasons, according to Antone. He could not be reached for comment. King and Miller also could not be reached for comment.
The Planning Department recently held a private ceremony on the anniversary of the accident in remembrance of Kern and Balberdi.
Antone recalled the department’s reaction when the crash occurred. "It was a devastating time here in the County of Maui and especially for our Planning Department. They were hit very hard.
"We all felt the loss," he said.
This update was written by Rosemarie Bernardo. Suggest a topic for "Whatever Happened to …" by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.
