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Claims Tom Cruise 'negligent' over pilot deaths

The families of two stunt pilots who died while filming American Made have started a lawsuit against the film's production company, claiming star Tom Cruise and director Doug Liman were "negligent".

Alan Purwin, 51, and 58-year-old Carlos Berl were killed back in 2015 during filming in Columbia after twin-engine Piper Smith Aerostar 600 they were flying went down in mountains, while a third member of the crew Jimmy Lee Garland no longer has feeling in his lower body, The Sun reports.

Two families claim Tom was
Two families claim Tom was
Tom and the film's director Doug Liman were named in the lawsuit. The two pictured together. Source: Getty
Tom and the film's director Doug Liman were named in the lawsuit. The two pictured together. Source: Getty

Now the estates of the two deceased mean claim in new court documents obtained by The Blast that the director and 55-year-old actor only wanted to film "high-risk, action-packed motion picture" and "ignored safety procedures" to save time and money for the flight scene, which contributed to the fatal accident.

"The demands of filming in Colombia, together with Cruise’s and director Doug Liman’s enthusiasm for multiple takes of lavish flying sequences, added hours to every filming day and added days to the schedule," the documents state.

While both Tom and Doug are mentioned in the documents, they are not named as defendants in the lawsuit, however the families of the men add the pair were "negligent" by allowing the doomed flight to take off in the first place.

Two pilots died in 2015 while filming Tom's latest movie. Source: Universal
Two pilots died in 2015 while filming Tom's latest movie. Source: Universal
The film opened last month. Source: Universal
The film opened last month. Source: Universal

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The families are suing the movie's production companies Imagine Entertainment, Cross Creek Pictures and Vendian Entertainment for wrongful death and damages.

"Lapses in planning, co-ordinating, scheduling, and flight safety that were the defendants’ responsibility resulted in an unqualified and unprepared pilot being pressed into service for a dangerous flight in a vintage aircraft across an unfamiliar mountain pass in bad weather," the lawsuit claims.

It also adds an unnamed executive producer told the film's insurance company that: "DL [Director Liman] and TC [Cruise] [are] adding entire scenes and aerial shots on the fly. Had to bring in Uni Safety to help wrangle them. In the last 48 hours this has become the most insane s**t I’ve ever dealt with."

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