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Medford woman, siblings sue over Alaska crash They allege poor maintenance, quality control in plane wreck that killed their father, stepmother Wire and staff reports SAN FRANCISCO -- A Medford woman whose father died in the Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crash has joined her siblings in filing a wrongful-death lawsuit against the airline and the manufacturer of the plane. Retired San Francisco police officer Karl Karlson's children filed the suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court, alleging that Alaska mechanics improperly maintained the MD-83 plane, and that manufacturer Boeing used shoddy quality control on its assembly line. Julie Serrano, Karlson's 27-year-old daughter who lives in Medford, declined to comment on the lawsuit. The crash Jan. 31 off the coast of Oxnard, Calif., killed all 88 people aboard, including Karlson's wife, Carol, the stepmother of the plaintiffs. "This entire tragedy could have been avoided," said attorney Niall McCarthy, who filed the suit on behalf of Serrano and her California siblings, 23-year-old Cory Karlson of Petaluma and 31-year-old Lisa Champion of Ukiah. "There were numerous warning signs that were available. Tragically, all the warning signs were ignored." Alaska Airlines spokesman Jack Evans said it would be inappropriate for the company to comment on the lawsuit, because "we are still grieving ourselves and are doing everything we can to assist grieving family members." McDonnell Douglas manufactured the plane in 1992, and Boeing bought the company in 1997. Boeing is named in the suit. A Boeing spokesman said he was confident the company's quality control procedures were not the cause of the crash. "Every plane we deliver is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, and if we don't meet their standards, or our own standards or the standards of our customers, then that plane won't be delivered," said spokesman Russ Young. Karlson, 51, and his wife were returning on Flight 261 from a vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The plane's pilots had reported problems with the horizontal stabilizer and were trying to correct them when the aircraft spun out of control and spiraled into the ocean. Authorities have now identified the remains of 52 people. The Karlson children's lawsuit is the third filed so far by families of crash victims. Last week, the family of 34-year-old victim Juan Marquez filed a wrongful-death suit, and on Feb. 13, Julie Friedmann, whose husband died in the crash, contended that Alaska pilots did not take all possible measures to make an emergency landing. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA