Station, Contractor To Pay $40 Million To Two Men Injured On The Ground When The News Helicopter Went Down

A settlement agreement has been reached in a civil trial in Seattle, WA that followed an accident involving a helicopter operated by television station KOMO that fatally injured two people on the aircraft and seriously injured two people on the ground.

The station and its aviation contractor, Helicopters Inc., have been ordered to pay $40 million to the two men who were injured on the ground when the aircraft fell onto their cars from a helipad atop the city's Space Needle four years ago, according to a report from the Seattle Times.

The settlement was read in open court Monday. It came after testimony during the weeks-long trial showed the station and the contractor did not heed admitted safety concerns about landing the aircraft on the station's helipad on the structure.

Neither KOMO or Helicopters Inc. are required to admit wrongdoing in the accident. The settlement is expected to be covered by the defendants' insurance company.

Airbus, which manufactured the aircraft, is not required to contribute to the settlement. Airbus attorney Steve Fogg said that the testimony showed that the manufacturer had no culpability in the accident.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report