Crash Landing for This Pilot

January 15, 2001

Paul Franklin Ostrove of Hermosa Beach was sentenced to six months in jail for insurance fraud after making false statements about his qualifications to pilot an aircraft when filing a claim in connection with the crash landing in August 1998 at Daniel Webster Junior High School in Los Angeles. Three passengers were injured when the plane ran out of fuel.

The insurance policy on the plane stated that coverage was dependent on pilots meeting all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification requirements. According to CDI investigators, Ostrove did not meet all of the requirements at the time of the crash. The FAA later revoked his pilot’s license, but Avemco Insurance paid more than $250,000 on the claim.

In addition to the jail sentence, the 34-year-old man was ordered to pay more than $212,000 in restitution and serve five years probation. Earlier this year, Ostrove pleaded no contest to a grand theft charge.

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