Family Of United Flight 93 Victim Will Get Some Evidence

MANHATTAN (CN) - A federal judge has granted only very limited amounts of material from the cockpit recording of doomed United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001.

To expedite proceedings, U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein allowed some lawsuits for damages to proceed before claims for liability. The first such trial for damages, Driscoll v. Argenbright Security, is to start Sept. 24. The Driscoll family sought cockpit recordings and other data from the hijacked flight. Judge Hellerstein ruled that they may receive only portions directly relevant to their claims, which include a hijacker's announcement that he had a bomb on board, sounds of a scuffle in the cockpit when passengers tried to retake the airplane, and some other evidence. See ruling.

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