CHARLOTTE, N.C. — January 8, 2023 is the 20th anniversary of the Air Midwest Flight 5481 crash that killed all 21 people on board in Charlotte. This is a day to reflect on those whose lives were taken too soon and the chain of events in the aftermath of the crash that changed the course of aviation safety.
On Jan. 8, 2003, Flight 5481, heading to Greenville, lost control, stalled, and crashed into the ground during takeoff from Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
After investigating the crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the crash was caused by serious maintenance deficiencies and a lack of standards and oversight that compromised aviation safety. These deficiencies in maintenance practices were what ultimately led to an improperly rigged elevator control system, which the NTSB determined to be the cause of the fatal crash.
The fact that the cause of the crash was preventable added to the devastation and shock that the families who lost loved ones were experiencing. One family in particular, the Shepherds, who lost their daughter, Christiana, in the Flight 5481 crash, decided to channel their grief into action and fight for change.
Tereasa Shepherd and her husband, Pastor Doug Shepherd, hired Ronald L.M. Goldman from the aviation accident law firm Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman, to represent them, as did another family of a crash victim.
In a press release to honor and remember the victims of the Flight 5481 crash on its 20th anniversary, Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman, along with the Shepherds, discuss the unprecedented aftermath of the crash and its lasting legacy on aviation safety.
The Shepherds did not want the typical private settlement compensation from the airline or manufacturer, which also allows the defendants to compensate the plaintiffs without having to admit any fault or take accountability for the crash. In addition to the Shepherds' goal of changing airline safety standards, they wanted something unprecedented - an apology from Air Midwest.
"One of the things that struck me about the Shepherds was their commitment to a higher purpose for their case," Goldman said. "They were not motivated by money - they wanted acknowledgment of wrongdoing assurances of safety changes, and, perhaps most importantly, contrition and acceptance of responsibility for the disaster".
Despite facing numerous obstacles, legal and otherwise, the Shepherds pushed back, making it clear to the settlement judge that they would refuse to settle unless there was a public apology and their safety concerns were addressed.
Their determination paid off, forcing both the judge and Air Midwest to take their demands seriously. And after a prolonged battle and many mediations, Air Midwest issued an unprecedented apology.
On May 6, 2005, The Shepherds and Baum Hedlund held a public apology ceremony. In front of all the families who lost loved ones if the Flight 5481 crash, Air Midwest President Greg Stephens said that the airline and Vertex, its maintenance provider, were "truly sorry and regret and apologize to everyone affected by this tragic event."
Stephens went on to acknowledge the maintenance deficiencies that led to the accident and pledged to "investigate rigorously...policies and guidelines regarding aircraft maintenance, operation and safety in general".
The airline's apology and resolution to improve airline safety standards left a lasting imprint on the industry, permanently changing the course of airline safety.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with the Shepherds and Ronald Goldman ahead of the 20th anniversary of Flight 5481.
Goldman praised the dedication and graciousness that the Shepherds have displayed over the years. "Doug and Tereasa have comported themselves with grace, with determination, with caring not just for themselves, but for a larger community of humanity," Goldman told WCNC Charlotte. Goldman considers the Air Midwest apology to be one of the most important moments in his 60 years of practicing law.
The Shepherds, still grieving the loss of their daughter 20 years later, find solace in helping to make airline travel safer.
"We felt like we took a really awful situation, and did the best we could with it to make the world a better, safer place. So that helps with the grieving," said Tereasa.
"Regrets intensify grief. Thankfully, we have no regrets about our decision to pursue accountability and change in the airline industry. We know, through various sources, that our case and our story continue to influence air travel safety today," Doug told WCNC Charlotte.
Tereasa Shepherd finds comfort in knowing that, all around the world, families are reuniting safely after flying, not knowing that their safe travel and arrival are directly related to the actions of the Shepherds and Goldman.
"How many people meet their kids at the airport? And never know. It makes me smile, thinking that everybody is safe and sound," Tereasa told WCNC Charlotte.
"And that's what makes us happy. When people say 'How was the flight'? I hope they'll say 'boring'," Goldman said in response.
On the 20th anniversary of the Flight 5481 crash, WCNC honors the victims of a devastating event that was so deeply tragic, yet meaningful to so many people over the years.
VICTIMS OF THE AIR MIDWEST FLIGHT 5481 CRASH:
Caitlin Albury, 13 – Marsh Harbour, Bahama
Nicholas Albury, 21 – Marsh Harbour, Bahamas
Robin Albury, 38 – Marsh Harbour, Bahamas
Sreenivasa Badam, 24 – India
Mark Congdon – Baltimore, Maryland
Keith Coyner – Coral Springs, Florida
Forrest Demartino – Dayton, Ohio
Sylvain Dubois – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Richard E. Fonte, 29 – Jacksonville, North Carolina
Gary Gezzer, 42 – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Jonathan Gibbs (first officer) – Charlotte, North Carolina
Steven J. Krassas – Richmond, Virginia
Katie Leslie (captain), 25 – Charlotte, North Carolina
Richard Lyons, 56 – Boston, Massachusetts
Ima Pearson – Las Vegas, Nevada
Christiana Shepherd, 18 – Boston, Massachusettes
Joseph M. Spiak, 46 – Boston, Massachusetts
Ganeshram Sreenivasan, 23 – India
Paul Stidham, 46 – Dayton, Maryland
Michael Otto Sullivan – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ralph Sylvia – Richmond, Virginia
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