Product Liability Benchmark for Aviation:

Cleveland v. Piper Aircraft Corp.

A man takes the front seat out of a Super Cub, where he installs a film camera for commercial filming. The man will fly from the rear seat. He intends to operate from a private airport. The airport owner considers this unsafe, and closes the airport. The airport owner parks a van on the runway to block it.

The Super Cub owner begins a take-off. The Cub crashes into the van.

His estate sues Piper, claiming the tail-wheel design of the cub is defective due to the poor visibility from the rear seat, and the lack of a shoulder harness.

The court held Piper liable for damages.