Family of Paulding Man Killed in N.C. Plane Crash Files Lawsuit

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March 13, 2008

Family of Paulding Man Killed in N.C. Plane Crash Files Lawsuit

Atlanta Journal-Constituition - March 13, 2008

Sonji Jacobs
Atlanta Journal-Constituition
3/13/2008

The Family of Frank Ruggiero filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking damages for the Feb. 1 plane crash that claimed the lives of Ruggiero and five other prominent Paulding County men and devastated the community.

“We believe the pilot was negligent in maintaining operational control of the plane, causing it to crash,” said Gary C. Robb, an aviation attorney in Kansas City, Mo., who is representing Louise Ruggiero.

“The most important thing is that we feel that this was a horrible tragedy,” Robb said. “All of the families involved-not just the Ruggiero family-are devestated.”

The suit, filed in Polk County Superior Court, seeks unspecified compensatory damages for the crash, which happened in Mount Airy, N.C.

Frank Ruggiero, 52, of Acworth was executive project manager at the Facility Group, a large Smyrna-based design and construction firm. A native of Niagra Falls, N.Y., Ruggiero was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and boating. He is survived by his wife, Louise, and their three children: Angelo, 25, Tony, 23, and Adrianna, 15.

The other five men killed in the crash were: Robert Butler, 49; Hal Echols, 57; Tony Gunter, 46; John Wesley Rakestraw, 50; and Steve Simpson, 46.

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Airplane Accidents

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