Tom Cruise's 'American Made' Producers Hit With Another Lawsuit Over Deadly Plane Crash
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The family of Carlos Berl, a Colombian pilot killed in the September 2015 crash, filed a wrongful death suit against Imagine Entertainment and other production companies.

AceShowbiz - A year after the deadly plane crash on the Colombia set of Tom Cruise's "American Made", formerly known as "Mena", the producers are hit with another lawsuit. The family of Carlos Berl, a Colombian pilot killed in the September 2015 crash, filed on Wednesday, September 14 in Los Angeles Country Superior Court a wrongful death suit against Imagine Entertainment and other production companies.

The lawsuit claimed that the crew members were rushing to get back to Medellin due to filming delays. "The terrain over which the Subject Aircraft would fly in order to reach Medellin was unsuitably difficult for such an instructional flight, especially one conducted in a rushed and unscheduled manner in an aircraft with limited flight data and weather instrumentation," stated the complaint.

In a statement, Berl's attorney Daniel Hode claimed that producers were aware the pilot was unprepared. "Even prior to traveling to South America, Carlos repeatedly informed the production companies that he had insufficient flight experience in that particular aircraft and required flight instruction prior to flying. His requests were completely ignored," he said.

The family were seeking damages which include loss of inheritance, loss of earnings, property damage, prejudgment interest, loss of comfort, costs of the suit and such other remedies as may be permitted by law. The complaint added, "Plaintiffs are entitled to compensation for the decedent's burial and funeral expenses and other damages."

Back in April, the estate of Alan Purwin, the stunt pilot who also died in the crash, sued Cross Creek Pictures, Imagine Entertainment, Vendian Entertainment and Quadrant Pictures. The complaint read, "Defendants knew that the Accident Aircraft would be flown over rugged, mountainous terrain and in the Republic of Colombia, and yet failed to ensure that Carlos Berl was competent, qualified, rested and sufficiently informed for the flight."

The September 11 deadly crash happened when the twin-engine Aerostar Berl and Purwin were flying in, with pilot in command Jimmy Lee Garland - the lone survivor who is also named as defendant, crashed in the rugged Andes near Medellin. Meanwhile, another helicopter carrying Cruise had traveled the same way ten minutes earlier and safely arrived.

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