Bill Will Increase Airplane Production

Makers of small airplanes promised increases in production and jobs Wednesday as President Clinton signed a bill limiting lawsuits in crashes of older small aircraft.

“This law will be welcome news for aircraft and component manufacturers all over the country,” said Rep. Dan Glickman, D-Kan.

Clinton said the law would help revitalize the U.S. production of small aircraft while preserving the legal rights of pilots and passengers.

The legislation, opposed by trial lawyers since it was first introduced in Congress eight years ago, prohibits manufacturers from being named as defendants in crashes of single-engine piston planes at least 18 years old.

Companies such as Beech Aircraft Co. and Cessna Aircraft Corp., both based in Wichita, Kan., have almost stopped making such airplanes, partly because of the high cost of defending lawsuits.