Helicopter Accident Lawsuit Filed Over Fatal Oklahoma Crash

The family of a young woman who died in a helicopter accident last month in Oklahoma has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the pilot of the helicopter, as well as his parents and other defendants, saying the pilot had a history of reckless behavior.

The helicopter crash lawsuit was filed by Juanita Scraper on November 6 in Cherokee County District Court in Oklahoma. Scaper’s 20 year-old daughter, Darci, and Mark Mahaney, 26, died in a helicopter crash just outside of Tahlequah on October 14. The complaint names Mahaney and his parents, James Mahaney and Rene Rozell, as defendants, as well as the estate of the deceased owner of the helicopter, Trevor Noble, and Robinson Helicopter Co.

Mahaney took Scraper up on a flight in the helicopter on October 14 at about 5 a.m. The vehicle crashed shortly afterward, but the wreckage was not found until two days later near a small stream. According to a report by Tulsa World, investigators have not determined the cause of the accident.

The Oklahoma wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Mahaney was careless, reckless and incompetent in his flying and that his parents were guilty of negligent entrustment in giving him access to the vehicle. Mahaney had his pilot’s license for less than three months at the time of the crash, and had a police record that included pending charges of drunken driving and public intoxication.

Negligent entrustment lawsuits involve claims that a party was negligent by knowingly providing a dangerous instrument to another individual who has a reputation of negligent behavior. If that individual causes an injury to others as a result of the entrustment, the party who gave them the instrument may be held liable.

The complaint also claims that Robinson Helicopter Co is liable for the helicopter crash, alleging that the copter was defectively and negligently designed. Prior owners of the craft were also named in the complaint as John Doe.