Rowlett mother sues flight operator after crash at Addison Airport
A Rowlett mother of three who survived a plane crash in August is suing the flight company for alleged negligence.
"I don't remember crashing, I didn't remember anything," said 32-year-old Jessica Perez who was the backseat passenger of a small plane on August 18.
Her best friend had purchased a Groupon for a flight tour over downtown Dallas with Thrust Flight, which according to the lawsuit was formerly U.S. Sport Aircraft.
"I thought we'd be ok, I never imagined I'd wake up like this," said Perez from her Plano hospital bed.
Shortly after take off, the plane veered left and crashed.
The accident was captured by an airport surveillance camera.
So far, Perez has had back surgery requiring 40 staples.
She needed 23 staples for a head injury.
Her clavicle, sternum and ribs are fractured.
Severe bruises covered her legs.
And she's had five surgeries on her arm, which is now held together with rods and pins.
"It's like looking at your arm and half of it's missing. It's very very painful, I scream, I cry," said Perez.
The lawsuit against Thrust Flight, it's owner and his related companies, seeks at least a million dollars in damages.
"It's a complicated lawsuit if you read it cover to cover but the basic problem we've got here are severe systemic problems of failure to follow essential safety rules," said Ron McCallum of the McCallum Law Firm, who's representing Perez in the lawsuit.
It claims several factors contributed to the crash, including the failure to perform necessary calculations from the weight and balance sheets before departure.
It says the pilot performed virtually no pre-flight prior to departure.
And it says he departed with a tail wind, which is grossly negligent.
Fox 4 News asked the owner of Thrust Flight for response to the allegations.
The company's attorney responded with this statement: "We are saddened by this accident and are working closely with the FAA and NTSB to support their investigation. NTSB rules do not permit us to discuss any aspects of the investigation. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals who were injured."
McCallum also represents Sheema Shaik in a lawsuit against the same flight operator.
She suffered severe injuries from a crash shortly after take off March 10, also at Addison Airport.
"If I had known, I would have never got on that plane, ever," said Perez who says she was unaware of the crash five months before she boarded her plane.
But she says she's now keenly aware of what lies ahead.
"I'm going to require a lot of help from my mom and I'm a grown woman with three kids and for me that's hard," said Perez.
FOX 4 News also reached out to the FAA and NTSB for updates on the investigation, but so far no responses.