NASCAR Team Owner Rick Hendrick Survives Plane Crash: Fan Reaction

NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick survived a plane crash with his wife on Oct. 31, 2011. The brakes failed on the plane, and it crashed in Key West International Airport. Rick owns Hendrick Motorsports and currently fields four teams. Rick and Linda Hendrick were taken to a hospital along with the pilots. This is not the first time that the Hendrick family has been involved in a plane crash.

The Recent Plane Crash

Everyone survived the plane crash on Oct. 31, 2011, and only minor injuries were reported. Although the plane was forced to run off of the runway, it did not sustain an enormous amount of damage. The survivors were still taken to a local hospital to be examined.

The History of the Previous Crash

Several members of the Hendrick family were involved in a plane crash on Oct. 24, 2004. Similar to the incident on Oct. 31, 2011, the crash involved a Hendrick Motorsports plane. Two crew members and eight passengers died in the crash in 2004. The plane crashed in Martinsville, Virginia. Rick Hendrick's son, brother and twin nieces were killed. In addition, he lost several staff members and the crew of the plane.

The Lawsuits

The aftermath of the 2004 plane crash included several lawsuits. First, the widows, Dianne Dorton and Linda Turner, filed a lawsuit against Hendrick Motorsports in 2006 by claiming negligence. The widows and Hendrick Motorsports sued the U.S. government in a separate case because they believed the air-traffic controllers were responsible for the crash.

The cause of the crash led to a lengthy investigation. Finally, in 2010, the courts ruled that the pilots, not the air-traffic controllers, were responsible for the crash. The judge ruled that the pilots were negligent in this case. The cases involving the U.S. government were only settled in May 2011. The details of the settlements were not revealed.

It is unlikely that the Oct. 31, 2011, crash will result in more lawsuits for Hendrick Motorsports. Since everyone survived the crash and the cause was faulty brakes, another lawsuit for the Hendrick family is not likely to happen in this case.

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Growing up in Indiana, Lana developed a love for motorsports at an early age. She follows NASCAR, IndyCar and Formula One. Follow her @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.

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