Widow sues over hangar-door accident

Winner Aviation was cited for bypassing a safety measure on the door.

By ED RUNYAN

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — The widow of a 71-year-old Winner Aviation employee who died by being crushed by a hangar door has sued the Western Reserve Port Authority, which runs the airport, and Winner Aviation.

Zella Wiscott of Youngstown, executrix of the estate of Paul R. Wiscott, filed the suit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, seeking at least $575,000 from Winner Aviation, at least $75,000 from the port authority and at least $25,000 from an unidentified John Doe corporation.

Wiscott, a 40-year employee at the airport, died April 9 when a hangar door closed on him as he was operating the door.

The Occupation Health and Safety Administration later cited Winner Aviation and fined the company $2,000 for having a switch on the door that bypassed a safety mechanism.

Rob Medlock, OSHA area director in Cleveland, said Winner didn’t install the bypass on the safety switch and that it can’t be determined which previous tenant installed it or when.

Winner leases the hangar from the port authority.

Medlock said the 30-foot-high door closes in a cascade fashion. The switch must be pressed to open and close it, and the switch is designed to be held down to operate the door.

The safety feature was bypassed, Medlock said, by a large nail hanging next to the switch that could hold it down while the door was opened or closed. The bypass enabled Wiscott to reach between the door and the hangar wall and hold down the switch to open the door.

When Wiscott took his finger off the switch while going into the hangar, the door closed on him, Medlock said.

The lawsuit says the port authority was responsible for the accident because it had a duty to insure, inspect and maintain the hangar in a safe condition.

Dan Keating, the attorney for the port authority, however, said that responsibility was with Winner Aviation. “He was a Winner employee, and we do not feel we are responsible,” Keating said.

The suit said the port authority, Winner Aviation and whatever company installed the bypass left the door in an unreasonably unsafe condition.

Mark Geisler, general manager of Winner Aviation, said he was unable to comment on the suit.

The suit also names Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann insofar as the suit challenges the constitutionality of an Ohio law that governs employer liability.

Airport officials have previously said the bypass has been corrected.

The case is assigned to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Andrew Logan.

runyan@vindy.com