Newlywed groom's parents sue over fatal Grand Canyon helicopter crash

Updated

The parents of a newlywed groom who was among the five who died after a helicopter crash in the Grand Canyon are suing the tour operator of the flight.

The parents of Jonathan Udall, who died in hospital days before his wife Ellie Milward, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Friday against Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters and manufacturer Airbus Helicopters.

The honeymooning couple died in hospital after the February 10 crash that killed their friends Becky Dobson, her boyfriend Stuart Hill and his brother Jason Hill.

Brothers Stuart and Jason Hill died in the crash
Brothers Stuart and Jason Hill died in the crash

Philip and Marlene Udall, of Southampton, claim in the lawsuit filed in Nevada that their 31-year-old son would not have sustained fatal burns if the Airbus EC130 B4 had been fitted with a crash-resistant fuel system.

Lawyer Gary Robb said: "Mr and Mrs Udall deeply grieve for the loss of their son but their primary motivation now is to prevent anyone else from having to suffer the deadly burn injuries as their son did.

"If this helicopter had been properly equipped with a crash-resistant fuel system, it would have allowed this young man to walk away injury-free."

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