Fatal accident claims 5 lives in Pennsylvania

A helicopter crash in north Pennsylvania has left five people dead, including one child, according to local sources. The fatal accident saw a Robinson 66 helicopter crash in the heavily wooded area of Pennsylvania outside of Scranton. The identities of the deceased parties have not yet been released by authorities, pending contacting the affected families.

According to the somewhat sketchy reports available about the crash, the helicopter took off from Greater Birmingham airport, though there is some contention on that point. Other authorities believe the helicopter took off from a smaller airport elsewhere. Little is known about the final fate of the helicopter, but it did not reach its intended destination.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, though authorities have yet to say with certainty what caused the helicopter to go down. Officials have confirmed that the deceased parties include one woman, three men and one male child. The last communication from the pilot indicated the craft was losing altitude, after which time the vehicle left radar screens and was recovered later after crashing into the woods.

The details of this case are still too unclear to say with any certainty where the fault will lie, but Pennsylvania law will allow the next of kin of the deceased passengers to file wrongful death law suits against whoever is deemed to be responsible. The fatal accident could have been due to a mechanical error, at which point the manufacturer of the helicopter might be to blame. Otherwise it is possible that pilot error lead to the crash, which would make the pilot’s estate responsible for handling the law suit.

Source: bignewsnetwork.com, “Five dead in Pennsylvania helicopter crash,” July 29, 2013