Kerstetter v. Pacific Scientific Co.
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
210 F.3d 431 (2000)
Navy pilot Huber died after a defect in his plane's restraint system, manufactured by Pacific Scientific (defendant) under close Navy involvement in its design and approval, caused an inadvertent ejection; the Navy had received prior reports of "uncommanded seat harness release" but made no changes to the approved system. Kerstetter (plaintiff), Huber's mother, sued Pacific for products liability, and Pacific asserted the government-contractor defense; the district court granted Pacific summary judgment.
Whether a government contractor is immune from a products-liability claim based on defective equipment it manufactured if the government approved reasonably precise specifications, the equipment conformed to those specifications, and the contractor warned of dangers known to it but not the government.