Opeta

FOR PUBLICATION

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT

IOANE JOHN OPETA, 

Plaintiff-Appellant, No. 04-56719 v.  D.C. No.

CV-03-05189-WJR

NORTHWEST AIRLINES PENSION

PLAN FOR CONTRACT EMPLOYEES, OPINION

Defendant-Appellee.  Appeal from the United States District Court for the Central District of California William J. Rea, District Judge, Presiding

Argued and Submitted September 12, 2006—Pasadena, California

Filed May 7, 2007

Before: J. Clifford Wallace, M. Margaret McKeown, and Kim McLane Wardlaw, Circuit Judges.

Opinion by Judge Wardlaw

5107 5110 OPETA v. NORTHWEST AIRLINES PENSION PLAN

COUNSEL

Lisa S. Kantor, Glenn R. Kantor, Kantor & Kantor LLP, Northridge, California; Russell G. Petti, Law Offices of Rus- sell G. Petti, La Canada, California, for the plaintiff-appellant.

Thomas B. Ackland, Jason Orlandi, Barger & Wolen LLP, Los Angeles, California, for the defendant-appellee.

OPINION

WARDLAW, Circuit Judge:

Ioane John Opeta appeals the district court’s judgment that he is not “totally and permanently” disabled, and therefore ineligible for a disability pension benefit under the Northwest…