IN RE: Air Crash Disaster at Hong Kong on June 30, 1967

Case MDL No. 15 Document 2 Filed 04/29/15 Page 1 of 5
| tran 9 1981 BEA
THE JUDICIAL PANEL Henig es Rd
ON | JUDICIAL PANEL FOR a
MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION VERT STRICT Li.iGATION SY
TRON IR
IN RE MULTIDISTRICT CIVIL ACTIONS ) |
INVOLVING THE AIR CRASH DISASTER AT ) DOCKET NO. 15
HONG KONG ON JUNE 30, 1967 )
OPINION AND ORDER TRANSFERRING MULTIDISTRICT
CIVIL ACTIONS UNDER SECTION 1407, TITLE 28, Co
UNITED STATES CODE, TO THE NORTHERN DISTRICT
OF CALIFORNIA : Sa
BEFORE ALFRED P. MURRAH, CHAIRMAN, AND JOHN MINOR WISDOM,
EDWARD WEINFELD, EDWIN A. ROBSON, WILLIAM H. BECKER, JOSEPH :
S. LORD, III, AND STANLEY A. WEIGEL, JUDGES OF THE PANEL a
PER CURIAM
While approaching Hong Kong International Airport, -
Thai Airways Flight PG-601 crashed into the sea; 24 }
passengers were drowned and three passengers and two crew oo
members were seriously injured. There were 73 passengers
and a crew of seven aboard the plane at the time of the Co
crash. Twenty-four actions resulting from this accident
are presently pending in three different federal district
courts. See Schedule A. The majority of these actions
(66-2/3 percent) are pending in the Northern District oo

Case MDL No. 15 Document2 Filed 04/29/15 Page	2 of 5
® “2 -
of California and counsel for certain of these plaintiffs
filed a motion to transfer the remaining cases to the Northern
District of California for coordinated or consolidated pretrial
proceedings. Counsel representing the defendants in all actions
subsequently filed a motion requesting such a transfer.
After notice to all counsel a hearing was held in San
Francisco to consider the motions and at that time, counsel
representing all plaintiffs stated that they favored the
proposed transfer. It is undisputed that common questions
of fact exist and that the transfer to one district pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. §1407 will be for the convenience of parties and
® witnesses and will promote the just and efficient conduct of
these actions. We are satisfied that the Northern District
of California is the most appropriate district to conduct
such pretrial proceedings.
The Honorable Richard H. Chambers, Chief Judge of the
Ninth Circult has assigned Senior Judge Pierson M. Hall of
the Central District of California temporarily for service
in the transferee court, and that court through Chief Judge
Harris, has consented to the assignment by the Panel of these
cases to Judge Hall,
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the cases listed on the
attached Schedule A now pending in the Eastern Districts of
California and New York are hereby transferred under 28 U.S.C.
®

Case MDL No. 15 Document 2 Filed 04/29/15 Page 3 of 5
- 3 -
§1407 to the Northern District of California and assigned to
the Honorable Pierson M. Hall for coordinated or consolidated
pretrial proceedings.
Attachment

Case MDL No. 15 Document2 Filed 04/29/15 Page	4 of 5
® SCHEDULE A
EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA	efi	UF LALIFORNLA
1. Robert Olson, ete. v. Sud Aviation, et Civil Action
al. No. S872
EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK	mem eof,	VF NeW TURK
2. Charles V. Hume, etc. v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 68C 149
3. Charlotte M. Bergstrom v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 68C 150
4. Francis B. Toler, Jr., etc. v. Thai Civil Action
Airways International, Limited, No. 68C 448
et al,
5. Helen Latham v. Thai Alrways Inter- Civil Action
national, Limited, et al. No. 68C 611
6. Hazel L. Forsman v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 68C 612
® 7. Maury M. Tepper, etc. v. Thai Airways Civil ActionInternational, Limited, et al. No. 67C 1128
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA	— en epdRa LL OF VALLIFORNIT
8. Richard Stevenson, etc. v. Sud Aviation, Civil Action
et al. No. 49234
9. Betty Fong v. Sud Aviation, et al. Civil Action
No. 49267
10. Bonnie M. Wong v. Sud Aviation, et al. Civil Action
No. 149268
11. Luther B. Martin, etc. v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 49345
12. Mary Stewart Malone v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 49471
13. Gene Hajime Ono, etc. v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 49472
14. Quie Suie Fong, etc. v. Thai Alrways Civil Action
® International, Limited, et al. No. 49473

Case MDL No. 15 Document2 Filed 04/29/15 Page	5 of 5
® -2-
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA (CONTINUED)
15. Harry Edwards & Henrietta Edwards v. Civil Action
Sud Aviation, et al. No. 49503
16. Dorothea M. Firkins, etc. v. Thai Civil Action
Airways International, Limited, No. 49532
et al.
17. Barbara Shute v., Thai Airways Inter- Civil Action
national, Limited, et al. No. 49761
18. Ellen W. Therkelsen v. Thai Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. 49762
19. Karen Norberg v. Thai Airways Inter- Civil Action
national, Limited, et al. No. 49763
20. Ralph R. Cowper and Margaret Cowper v. Civil Action
Thai Airways International, No. 49764
Limited, et al.
( 21. Katherine D. Morten v. Thal Airways Civil Action
International, Limited, et al. No. Ug9765
22. Kenneth R. Canfield and Janice V. Civil Action
Canfield v. Thai Airways Inter- No. 49766
national, Limited
23. Frances Lindquist and Marilyn Lindquist, Civil Action
etc. v. Thai Airways International No. 49767
Limited, et al.
24, Marian Conlon v. Thai Airways Inter- Civil Action
national, Limited, et al. No. 49768