Spirit Airlines awards three passengers $5,000 each over turbulence The Associated Press 3/13/03 10:00 AM DETROIT (AP) -- A jury has awarded three Spirit Airlines passengers $5,000 each for anguish they suffered when one of the company's jets took a sudden plunge in severe turbulence. The decision Wednesday disappointed the passengers, Carolyn and William Conroy, and Ronald Patterson. Patterson said he turned down $50,000 from the airline to settle the case. A spokeswoman for the Florida-based airline said Thursday the company couldn't comment because of other pending litigation related to the flight. The aircraft shook and plunged 4,000 feet during a Jan. 30, 2000 flight from Ft. Myers, Fla., to Detroit. The Federal Aviation Administration suspended the pilot's license after the incident, and he resigned. Spirit's lawyers said turbulence caused the incident, while the passengers' lawyer said the pilot wasn't watching what he was doing. The incident prompted more than two dozen lawsuits. Many have been settled. Roger EWROPS