The family of a meteorologist who died in a helicopter accident in North Carolina last year is suing a maintenance facility as well as the firms that owned and operated the aircraft.
The case, filed this week in Mecklenburg County Court in Charlotte, claims carelessness and that the helicopter was operating on tainted gasoline, which can cause engine failure.
According to the lawsuit, the pilot failed to execute sufficient flying checks and emergency engine failure protocols. It claims the aircraft's owner is responsible for the errors.
In November, a meteorologist and the pilot were killed when their Robinson R44 helicopter crashed along a Charlotte-area motorway. The pilot was lauded by police for saving drivers' lives by avoiding the highway.
According to the lawsuit, the meteorologist worked for a Charlotte-area news channel and the pilot worked for the Total Traffic and Weather Network, which is owned by parent firm iHeartMedia.
The wife of a meteorologist is suing Wilson Air Center-North Carolina, the Total Traffic and Weather Network, and iHeartMedia. The general manager of the North Carolina air facility declined to comment. An email requesting a response from iHeartMedia was not returned. According to the plaintiff's counsel, the action is about finding out what caused the helicopter accident and making the relevant parties entirely accountable for the pilot's death.
According to the station, the deceased had been a pilot for more than 20 years. According to eyewitnesses, he kept the aircraft from collapsing onto Interstate-77 during a busy week of holiday travel. The family is suing for compensatory and punitive damages totaling more than $25,000, including his net income.
