Wrongful death lawsuit filed after plane crashes into Clearwater trailer park

CLEARWATER, Florida. – The families of two women killed in a plane crash at a Clearwater trailer park are filing wrongful death lawsuits.

The accident occurred on February 1 in the Bayside Waters 55+ residential complex. Mary Ellen Pender, 54, and Martha Parry, 86, were in Parry's house when the pilot of a Beechcraft Bonanza V35, 54-year-old Jemin Patel, crashed into it. All three died.

Pender's husband, Robert “Bobby” Dixon, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Patel's estate and his company, Control Data, Inc.

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“It completely tore him apart,” said Dixon's attorney, Marc Matthews of Matthews Injury Law. “Mary Ellen was his whole life. He spent every waking minute with her, as much as he could.”

Pictured: Mary Ellen Pender.

Matthews said Dixon is seeking justice.

“He was only able to identify her as a participant when a police officer showed him a piece of jewelry that she was wearing at the time and that he knew belonged to her,” the lawyer said.

MORE: Clearwater plane crash: Audio recordings show pilot had engine problems before crashing into residential area, killing three people

Justin Green, a partner at Kreindler Aviation Law Firm, is representing Parry's family but is waiting to file the lawsuit until the NTSB releases the wreckage to the owner and the firm's experts can examine it.

“In this case, where there are no black boxes, which are very important in serious aviation accidents, such as the cockpit voice recorder, there is no such evidence,” he said. “Just like in a murder case, the body tells the story, in this case the wreckage is the body.”

Pictured: Martha Parry.

Green currently believes the accident was caused by a maintenance issue, but also a pilot problem. Green said Parry is a mother of three children, grandmother of 11 grandchildren and great-grandmother of one grandchild.

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“This wasn't someone who did dangerous things,” he said. “This was someone who enjoyed playing golf and socializing.”

Matthews said Dixon described Pender as follows: “She was a bright spot. Everyone I talked to said she was always the life of the party. Very social. Always wanted to take care of everyone.”

FOX 13 reached out to the attorney representing Patel's estate and Control Data, Inc. for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

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