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February 23, 2012

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Lawsuit filed in Las Vegas helicopter crash

Image

AP Photo/NTSB

In this photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011, investigators examine the wreckage of a sightseeing tour helicopter from Las Vegas that crashed in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada near the Hoover Dam. The Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011, crash killed the pilot and four tourists, including a couple from Kansas and a couple from New Delhi, India.

Associated Press

Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011 | 3:32 p.m.

Helicopter Crash Investigation

Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy, second from right, talks with Metro Police Search and Rescue officers after viewing a helicopter crash site near Lake Mead Thursday, December 8, 2011. Five people were killed when a tour helicopter crashed near the lake Wednesday. . Launch slideshow »

A lawyer representing a honeymooning couple from India killed in a Las Vegas sightseeing helicopter crash has filed the first negligence lawsuit in the case.

Attorney Gary Robb of Kansas City, Mo., tells The Associated Press he's seeking unspecified monetary damages from tour operator Sundance Helicopters Inc. of Las Vegas for the families of 28-year-old Lovish Bhanot and 26-year-old Anupama Bhola.

The couple was from New Delhi, India.

The civil lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas.

Sundance officials declined comment.

Tourists Delwin and Tamara Chapman, both 49, of Utica, Kan., and the 31-year-old pilot, Landon Nield of Las Vegas, were also killed in the Dec. 7 crash near Lake Mead.

The Chapmans had been celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

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  1. By ChunkyFlyRight
    Dec. 13, 2011
    6:19 p.m.
    Flag

    Chunky says:

    The lawsuits were inevitable but insurance will probably cover those expenses in the long run.

    Why the FAA has not grounded this tour operator yet is beyond belief.

    Eleven fatalities in 8 years +/-, plus another incident a few years ago seems particularly unusual.

    That's what Chunky thinks!

  2. By vegaslee
    Dec. 13, 2011
    7:45 p.m.
    Flag

    Chunky,

    Think before speaking. The FAA knows what they are doing. They look at service records, inspections and accidents compared to the number of flights.

    You have no knowledge of this companies complete record at all. You look at two crashes and want them grounded. Any idea how many 1000's of flights they have done?

    More people die in this state daily from car crashes, maybe we should be closing all roads?

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