Oregon Public Broadcasting

On Friday, a Portland family filed a lawsuit seeking what could be millions of dollars stemming from a fatal plane crash at the Oregon coast in August.

Ethan Lindsey reports.

The small plane crashed into a vacation home in foggy conditions. An ensuing fire killed 10-year-old Julia Reimann and her two cousins, and severely burned other family members.

The lawsuit seeks damages from the pilot, the pilot’s employer, and the owner of the home.

The complaint cites a toxicology report that found the pilot was flying “under the influence of Ambien” -- a sleep medication.

Randall Henderson is the chairman of the Advisory Committee for Seaside Airport. He wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit but says that accident has nothing to do with a non-injury crash that occurred earlier this month.

Randall Henderson: “It was a fender bender. There was never any danger of anybody on the ground, or anybody else. He just landed with the gear up. Why he landed with the gear up is something they are investigating.”

Henderson says he knows airport critics will try to relate the two accidents. He points out they are “quite unrelated.”