$100M Settlement Awarded to Family in 2018 Grand Canyon Helicopter Tragedy

A $100 million cash settlement was approved by a Nevada judge on behalf of the parents of a 31-year-old British tourist who perished in a helicopter accident at the Grand Canyon.

Nevada’s RENO — A Nevada judge has authorized the parents of a British tourist, one of five fatalities (including his newlywed wife), to receive a $100 million cash settlement following the 2018 helicopter accident and ensuing fire in the Grand Canyon.

The family of 31-year-old Jonathan Udall will receive $24.6 million from the operator of the helicopter, Papillon Airways Inc., and $75.4 million from its French manufacturer, Airbus Helicopters SAS, in accordance with the settlement approved in Las Vegas on Friday.

Gary C. Robb, the family’s attorney from Kansas City, Missouri, stated that they insisted the settlement terms be disclosed in order to bring attention to aircraft fuel containers that are susceptible to rupture, according to them.

“The fuel tank was essentially a fire bomb, according to the parents,” Robb told The Associated Press late Monday.

The terms were corroborated by attorneys for the defendants, William Katt for Papillon Airways and Eric Lyttle for Airbus Helicopters Inc., according to a transcript of a hearing held in Clark County District Court on Friday.

Jonathan and Ellie Milward Udall, both 29 years old, along with the three other fatalities, boarded the helicopter in Boulder City, Nevada. The collision occurred while they were on a Grand Canyon excursion within the Hualapai reservation, which is situated beyond the national park’s boundaries.

The helicopter was allegedly hazardous, according to the family’s lawsuit, because it lacked a crash-resistant fuel system, which is now mandatory for aircraft manufactured in accordance with new regulations issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2020.

Robb stated that while a number of helicopter manufacturers have replaced the fuel containers grandfathered in under FAA regulations voluntarily, the majority have not.

“The Udall family wishes to bring this matter to the attention of the industry so that it will voluntarily strive to rectify this public health concern.” They wish for no one else to endure what their son did during an accident that was otherwise acquiescable to him—not even a fractured bone. Away he would have dissipated.

The 2018 Grand Canyon Helicopter Crash

In February 2018, just before sunset, an Airbus EC130 B4 crashed in an area of the Grand Canyon where aviation tours are less strictly regulated than in the national park. At the site, three of the British tourists who were present were pronounced deceased: veterinary receptionist Becky Dobson, 27 years old; Stuart Hill, 30, her car salesman boyfriend; and Jason Hill, 32, Hill’s sibling and a lawyer.

In its final accident report, published in January 2021, the investigation noted that the helicopter lacked a crash-resistant fuel system but discovered no indication of mechanical issues. Although not initially mandatory, Papillon has subsequently retrofitted its fleet of helicopters with fuel containers that not only seal but expand upon impact, as opposed to rupturing.

Flight attendant Scott Booth sustained a lower left leg amputation, while passenger Jennifer Barham suffered a spinal fracture. They also survived despite suffering severe injuries. He stated that Booth has had both legs amputated since that time.

Tuesday, Papillon Helicopters representative Matt Barkett informed AP via email that safety is the organization’s highest concern. He mentioned that the NTSB reached the conclusion that no mechanical issues occurred, and “due to the extreme weather conditions, our pilot was not found to be at fault.”

“In the months following this disaster, crash-resistant fuel cells were installed in Papillon’s entire fleet after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved their use. He wrote, “We extend our continued condolences to the families of the victims and now bring this somber chapter in our history to a close.”

Airbus representatives did not respond to queries for comment immediately.

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