Overview
- The family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on April 22 in Houston federal court, and an initial pretrial conference is scheduled for July 17.
- Relatives say they told Spirit at check-in that 75-year-old Marcos Humberto Vindel Osorio had dementia and needed help, yet no escort met him after the flight arrived in Houston.
- According to the complaint, the plane landed shortly before 7 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer said Osorio cleared entry alone at 7:43 p.m., and hours later he was found dead on the Eastex Freeway miles from the airport.
- The filing argues Spirit violated the Air Carrier Access Act, which requires airlines to assist passengers with disabilities, including helping them deplane and move through the airport when they cannot do so on their own.
- Spirit declined to comment, and the carrier is winding down after shutting operations on May 2, which could shape how any claims progress through its bankruptcy.