Last year Troy Gentry, a member of country music band Montgomery Gentry, tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in September. Now his widow, Angie Gentry, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit as a result. The lawsuit was filed back on February 14 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and names “the aircraft’s manufacturers, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, Inc. and the Keystone Helicopter Corporation as defendants in the case.” According to the lawsuit, Gentry’s widow alleges the defendants failed to “make the civilian version of the Model 269 helicopter crashworthy, despite their knowledge that a military version of the same helicopter had been updated years earlier.”
Last year Troy Gentry, a member of country music band Montgomery Gentry, tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in September. Now his widow, Angie Gentry, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit as a result. The lawsuit was filed back on February 14 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and names “the aircraft’s manufacturers, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Sikorsky Global Helicopters, Inc. and the Keystone Helicopter Corporation as defendants in the case.” According to the lawsuit, Gentry’s widow alleges the defendants failed to “make the civilian version of the Model 269 helicopter crashworthy, despite their knowledge that a military version of the same helicopter had been updated years earlier.”
So how did the accident occur? Was it preventable? Well, Gentry’s widow points out in her lawsuit “new insight into the details of the crash, including a frightening series of events in the technical timeline.” For starters, according to court documents, “Gentry was set to perform at the Flying W Airport and Resort in Medford, New Jersey, on September 8th, 2017.” During the show, he “was offered a sightseeing tour by the helicopter’s pilot.” On Feb. 14 when Gentry and the pilot went to lift off, “the helicopter’s throttle jammed, causing the engine to rev up to high speed.”
From there, the lawsuit claims “the decision was made to shut down the engine with the mixture control at an altitude of 959 feet, or about 850 feet above ground level, and perform a routine autorotation safely to the ground.” For those who don’t know, autorotation is a “procedure where the helicopter’s rotors are allowed to spin freely, decelerating the aircraft for a soft landing.”
Additionally, the lawsuit claims:
“Because of defects in the engine, throttle cable attachment and collective control, the helicopter did not enter autorotation as expected. It did not disengage smartly from the transmission, so the engine the rotors slowed to a speed lower than would permit a safe autorotation, thus allowing the helicopter to drop like a stone to the ground below, killing all aboard.”
At the moment Angie Gentry and “Troy Gentry’s two daughters, 15-year-old Kaylee and 24-year-old Taylor, are asking for a jury trial and unspecified damages in excess of $50,000, plus interest, costs, attorney’s fees and such other relief as the court deems appropriate,” according to the lawsuit.
How have the defendants responded to the accusations and lawsuit, though? Well, so far Callie Ferrari, a Sikorsky spokeswoman issued the following statement, though declined further comment: “We are fully cooperating with the NTSB and cannot comment further due to the investigation.” A full investigation into the accident is still being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Sources:
Troy Gentry’s Widow Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Report: Troy Gentry’s widow files wrongful death suit over deadly helicopter crash
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