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Families of 3 of 4 victims killed in East End Helicopter crash file lawsuit

This image provided by the Houston Fire Department shows the destruction caused by a helicopter crash in the city's Second Ward, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (Houston Fire Department via AP) (Brent Taylor, Houston Fire Department)

HOUSTON, Texas – Families of three of the four passengers killed in the East End helicopter crash have filed a lawsuit against the pilot, the touring company and the owner of the helicopter.

“The families of Cesar, Marie and Dylon are devasted and seek both answers and accountability,” said firm partner Randy Sorrels. “We hope this lawsuit will answer many unanswered questions, bring about air safety changes and prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.” The suit brings claims against SBA Communications, the tower’s owner; National Helicopter Solutions, the helicopter’s operator; the pilot; and Porter Equipment Holding, LLC, the helicopter’s owner.

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On Oct. 20, the Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter took off from Ellington Field. It was headed on a for-profit night scenic sightseeing tour of downtown Houston when it crashed into a communications tower owned by SBA Communications, killing all four passengers on board.

The lawsuit, which comes less than 24 hours after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a five-page preliminary report detailing some of their findings after the deadly crash, seeks $50 million in damages for the loss of Cesar Lerma, Marie Alonso and Dylon Lerma. Cesar and Marie were the parents of nine-year-old Dylon.

The lawsuit claims that despite the NTSB’s release of its report, the report does not make any conclusions about why the helicopter crash happened.

“It is unclear if the tower was properly illuminated, if the pilot was properly trained, if procedures were in place or if policies were followed. Porter Equipment Holding, the helicopter owner, knew the helicopter was being used for nighttime tours, and it is unclear if it had the proper detection equipment on the helicopter,” the lawsuit reads.

READ THE FULL REPORT HERE:

The family said in the lawsuit that Dylon’s four-year-old cousin and best friend were also scheduled to go on the flight, but his cousin developed an illness that caused him and his mom to cancel.

“To say that Marie and Dylon are survived by Marie’s mother and Dylon’s grandmother and other family members isn’t enough. They are survived by everyone they met,” the family said.

The families noted that they are making final funeral arrangements for their loved ones.

The FAA, NTSB, DPS, HPD, and HFD are all still investigating the crash.

READ THE FULL LAWSUIT HERE:

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