Theft of a Beech King Air
In 1991, Mr. Hill was retained to represent a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) in a claim involving the theft of a $3-million King Air.
The plane was flown to Miami Opa Locka Airport by a corporate-aviation crew from the Dominican Republic, tied down and left for the night.
During the night, the staff of the FBO received a call notifying them that the plane would immediately depart. When the original corporate crew arrived the next morning, it was determined that the plane had been stolen. A claim was made against the FBO for the value of the aircraft.
Through extensive investigation and recovery efforts, it was shown that the plane had been stolen by drug dealers, flown to Nicaragua and then destroyed.
The lawsuit involved issues of FBO security and whether the FBO staff had knowledge that planes such as the King Air were targets of drug dealers. The case was resolved in a confidential settlement.