Catastrophic Miss. helo crash suit

NEW ORLEANS – An Oklahoma woman is claiming in U.S. district court in Louisiana that faulty maintenance caused catastrophic engine failure leading to the deadly crash of a helicopter that her husband, Brandon Ricks, was piloting. Colleen Ricks filed a lawsuit Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Cadorath Aerospace LaFayette LLC, H&H Turbine Services LLC and Rotorcraft Leasing Co. LLC citing negligence. Ricks, 40, was pilot of the Model 206 L-1 helicopter from Griffin Memorial Airport in Wiggins, Miss., to assist in a controlled burn by the U.S. Forest Service on March 30. The craft’s Rolls Royce engine failed, resulting in a fatal crash for Ricks and another passenger. The lawsuit states the defendants negligently performed maintenance on the helicopter from 2009-14, which led to engine failure. Colleen Ricks seeks a jury trial and punitive and compensatory damages. (Source: Louisiana Record 12/15/15)