Pilot's Widow Sues, Blaming Jury-Rigged Aux Fuel System

A widow of one deceased pilot aboard Google co-founder Sergey Brin's DHC-6 Twin Otter has sued, citing his co-owners' approval for an allegedly improperly installed auxiliary fuel system.

The suit describes a series of events wherein the short-legged Twotter hampered plans to fly the float-equipped plane all the way to Fiji, where Brin and co-owners wanted to station it for a time. In order to extend its range, the ownership authorized the installation of an auxiliary fuel setup to bolster available fuel on board. The suit alleges that the mechanic who did the work did not reference an assembly checklist, and installed the system from memory of previous work. The end result was a bone-dry fuel system in cruise, resulting in a fatal crash to all aboard. Brin is one of the co-defendants listed in the lawsuit, accompanied by the maintenance firm and hiring company that provided the work.

Additionally, the widow's suit paints a picture of defendants reticent to actually go through with the recovery process, alleging that Brin & co. were content to blame weather delays or NOAA blockages - the subtext being that they weren't at all eager to see any evidence dredged up from the deep. The assertion is backed by the NOAA's denial that it had impeded the investigation at all, despite Brin's reps conveying the idea that they had impeded timely recovery.

“From the outset of the crash, despite publicly assuring Plaintiff that her husband’s remains would be recovered," the suit says, "Brin and his agents decided to leave him at the bottom of the ocean along with evidence that would establish that Defendants were responsible for the crash that killed the two pilots." 

FMI: www.google.com