How Fast Do I Need to Act After a Crash at SDF?

Two clocks start immediately after a serious air-cargo or ramp incident at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF): (1) legal deadlines for filing claims, and (2) evidence retention windows for ATC recordings, ramp CCTV, and ground-vehicle telematics. Acting quickly protects both.

Legal deadlines in Kentucky (plain English)

• Personal injury (non-MVRA cases): generally 1 year from the date the claim accrues.

• Wrongful death: the case is filed by a Personal Representative (PR). Kentucky’s limitations framework allows filing within one year of the PR’s qualification under KRS 413.180 (with interplay to the underlying claim and appointment timing). Practically, families should open probate and appoint a PR immediately so the wrongful-death claim is timely and properly filed.

• Motor-vehicle crashes (roadway collisions covered by MVRA): different rule—up to two years from the accident or last PIP payment (whichever is later). This often won’t apply to aviation ramp incidents but can matter for perimeter-road vehicle collisions linked to airport operations.

Translation: if there’s any question about which statute applies, treat the case as if the shortest deadline governs and get the PR appointed quickly.

Evidence windows (what disappears first)

• ATC audio & radar/NAS data: FAA facilities manage preservation and release under JO 8020.16E and Order 1200.22; recordings and associated data are not kept forever. Preserve early.

• Surface-movement tracking (ASDE-X/ASSC): if deployed, this shows aircraft/vehicle tracks on the airfield—again, request promptly.

• Airport/ramp CCTV: retention varies by the Airport Authority vs. tenant/vendor systems; many overwrite on short cycles. Ask for camera IDs, time windows, and native exports right away.

• GSE telematics & video (tugs, belt-loaders, fuel/de-ice trucks): systems often save event clips plus short backfills unless a hold/export is issued (request native files + metadata).

• Airline operations & maintenance (Part 121): dispatch/weight-and-balance, crew duty/rest, MEL/CDL, and maintenance records required by Part 121 and §121.380 should be preserved before routine retention lapses.

Week-one checklist

1. Medical & reporting: get medical care; obtain the incident number from airport police/ops or KSP.

2. Identify custodians: send separate preservation letters to the Louisville Regional Airport Authority, the air carrier, and each involved vendor (ground handling, fueling, de-ice, maintenance).

3. ATC/NAS data: request preservation via FAA JO 8020.16E and start the NAS Data Release process under Order 1200.22. Note UTC times.

4. Ramp video & telematics: demand native exports (video + CSV/JSON metadata) from airport and tenant/vendor systems.

5. Probate: open the estate and get a PR appointed as soon as possible to preserve the wrongful-death claim.

Why speed matters at SDF/Worldport

SDF and UPS Worldport operate at global-hub scale with 300+ flights/day and complex vendor networks. Short retention and multiple data owners mean delay can permanently erase ATC clips, ramp camera angles, or tug telemetry that prove what happened.

How Morrin Law Office helps

We move on both clocks: file the probate/PR quickly, serve multi-custodian preservation, initiate FAA requests, and secure Part 121 ops/maintenance records—then build your civil case while federal investigators do their work.

References & Further Reading

• KRS 413.140(1)(a) — 1-year limitation for personal-injury actions. Legislative Research Commission

• KRS 411.130 — wrongful-death action (prosecuted by the PR). Legislative Research Commission

• KRS 413.180 — actions by/against a personal representative (timing from PR qualification). Legislative Research Commission

• MVRA limitations overview — two-year PI period tied to accident or last PIP payment (motor-vehicle cases). Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

• FAA Order JO 8020.16E — ATO accident/incident notification, investigation, reporting (includes preservation/retention roles). Federal Aviation Administration

• FAA Order 1200.22E — external requests for NAS (ATC/radar) data. Federal Aviation Administration

• FAA ASDE-X overview — surface-movement surveillance (tracks aircraft/vehicles on airport surface). Federal Aviation Administration

• Recent SDF/Worldport scale coverage — 300+ flights/day; 2M packages/day; ~20k employees. AP News