Crash survivor has crying jags, son testifies

By ANDREA HARTER

LITTLE ROCK — It would be absurd to suggest that Joe Rustenhaven has "facticious disorder," a malady that would cause him to fake being sick just to get attention, his counselors testified Wednesday on the second day of his federal damages trial against American Airlines.

Rustenhaven is suing for compensation for injuries he received when American's Flight 1420 crashed June 1, 1999, while landing in Little Rock. American has agreed to compensate him, but the amount is in dispute. In opening statements an airline attorney suggested that Rustenhaven was making his injuries out to be worse than they were.

Ann Hedge-Carruthers, a Little Rock psychologist, testified Wednesday that Rustenhaven was not faking.

"Someone with factitious disorder would be very dramatic and very good at telling tall tales," she said. "Joe is anything but dramatic. He's very low-key. There is nothing flamboyant about him."

She said that the 62-year-old Maumelle man was still very troubled by hallucinations, which she said were caused by the crash.

"He smells things that aren't present, like electrical fires. He sees a man in a black coat and hat with a menacing laugh, sometimes with snakes, sometimes with cats that terrify him," she said. Often, Rustenhaven's visions include crowds of people "who are misshapen and bloody."

Rustenhaven's son, also named Joe, testified that his father has completely changed.

He said that the elder Rustenhaven had lost his love for baseball even though he had been an accomplished pitcher and coach, having once coached Bret Saberhagen, who is now with the Boston Red Sox.

"He forgets that he moved the furniture around," the younger Rustenhaven said. "He'll ask my mother, 'Mary, why did you move that?' and instead of embarrassing him, she'll just say, 'Well, I thought it'd look nice there.' "

The younger Rustenhaven said that he has visited Maumelle eight or nine times since the crash, and each time his father experienced a crying jag. Before the crash, the son said, he'd seen his father cry only once, when his father had accidentally shut the garage door on his ankle.

The elder Rustenhaven was transferring his employment from California to Arkansas when Flight 1420 crashed in Little Rock, killing 11.

Rustenhaven's former boss, Ron Roberts, testified that after the crash Rustenhaven had trouble concentrating and dealing with co-workers. Despite those problems, Roberts said, he gave Rustenhaven a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 five months after the crash because Rustenhaven was trying so hard.

Both Rustenhaven's doctors and his son testified that a telephone ring causes the former purchasing agent to jump.

American's attorney, Spence Fricke, challenged that, showing a video clip from Rustenhaven's deposition, during which the telephone rang twice. Rustenhaven hesitated after the first interruption but did not seem to notice when the phone rang again later.

Testimony continues today, with Rustenhaven expected to take the stand.

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