Plane-maker not at fault in Lidle death

A Minnesota airplane manufacturer isn't responsible for the deaths of Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his flight instructor, who were killed when their plane crashed into a Manhattan apartment building, a jury concluded Tuesday.

The Manhattan jury returned its verdict after three hours of deliberation, ending a one-month trial that featured testimony by Lidle's wife and from a retired space shuttle astronaut who was called by Duluth, Minn.-based Cirrus Design Corp. to support its contention that pilot error was to blame.

The National Transportation Safety Board had made the same finding, though that was not permitted to be introduced in court.

The families of Lidle and instructor Tyler Stanger insisted the plane went down in October 2006 because its flight controls jammed. -- AP