Civilian Hurt by Navy Plane Wins Damages : Courts: Federal judge awards $2.9 million to a helicopter mechanic who lost part of a leg in the crash of a F-14 Tomcat at Gillespie Field.

A civilian helicopter mechanic who lost part of a leg in the 1988 crash of an F-14 Tomcat at Gillespie Field has been awarded $2.9 million by a federal judge.

U.S. District Judge Howard Turrentine awarded mechanic William Grant $2.2 million in damages and another $698,621 to cover future medical expenses and lost earnings from being crippled by a crashing Navy jet.

“The government admitted liability for the injuries--the accident was caused by the negligence of the government,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Quinton, who had recommended that the judge award Grant and his wife slightly less than $1 million.

In his ruling, Turrentine also awarded Grant’s wife, Laurie, $150,000 in general damages and $3,647 in special damages. The Grants and their attorney, George Keller, were unavailable for comment.

In the Sept. 12, 1988, crash, two Navy aviators from Miramar Naval Air Station ejected from their disabled aircraft after the hydraulic system failed during a training mission. The radar intercept officer was killed when he and the pilot abandoned the jet, about 3 miles from Gillespie Field where it crashed.

The jet was doing barrel rolls when the two men bailed out, and it flew upside down until it slammed into two hangars. Grant, a mechanic working in one of the hangars, was trapped inside. Because of the crash, he lost his left leg below the knee and suffered severe nerve damage when his right foot was nearly severed. He also suffered second- and third-degree burns on his legs and arm.

Grant, who walks with a prosthetic, has not worked since the crash, even though his doctor testified that Grant has been capable of working since May 1, 1989, Quinton said. But a psychiatrist testified during the non-jury trial that Grant still suffers painful nightmares and flashbacks as a result of the accident. The psychiatrist likened Grant’s condition to post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Grants’ suit alleged that the Navy failed to properly inspect the F-14 before the ill-fated flight and carelessly allowed the hydraulic system to be in “a state of disrepair.”

The two other civilian helicopter mechanics who were injured in the crash have also filed suit. Documents attached to the Grants’ and those mechanics’ lawsuits suggested that the four were expecting a combined settlement of $55 million. The other mechanics’ lawsuits have not yet been resolved.

In the years since the crash, the Navy has made a concerted effort to improve its safety record.

“I’m happy the settlement was reached; we regret the circumstances in Mr. Grant’s injuries, and we are very happy it is resolved,” said Chief Petty Officer Bobbie Carleton, spokeswoman for Miramar. “All accidents are unfortunate, and we are spending a lot of effort to avoid them.”