A jury has awarded $116 million to the family of Trevor Cadigan, one of five people who tragically died in a no-door helicopter crash in New York City in March 2018. The helicopter, owned by Liberty Helicopters and operated by FlyNYON, plunged into the East River, trapping the passengers in safety harnesses that were not suited for aviation use. The harnesses were designed for construction workers and proved impossible for the passengers to release themselves from during the emergency.
Trevor Cadigan, a 26-year-old journalist who had recently moved to New York from Dallas, was on the flight with his childhood friend, Brian McDaniel, a Dallas firefighter. Both men were enjoying what was supposed to be a sightseeing experience over Manhattan. However, the flight ended in tragedy when a tether used by a passenger became entangled in a floor-mounted fuel shutoff switch, causing the engine to fail and the helicopter to plummet into the water.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation, the helicopter began sinking almost immediately after hitting the river. While the pilot, who was wearing a standard seatbelt, managed to free himself and survive, the five passengers—Cadigan, McDaniel, Carla Vallejos Blanco, Tristan Hill, and Daniel Thompson—were unable to escape from the restrictive harnesses and drowned.
The NTSB investigation largely placed the blame on FlyNYON for using the improper harnesses and exploiting a regulatory loophole to avoid stricter safety requirements that typically apply to tourist flights. FlyNYON had promoted its doors-off flights as opportunities for passengers to take dramatic “sneaker selfies” with their feet dangling out of the helicopter over the city. However, the company classified the flights under a certification intended for activities like newsgathering and commercial photography, allowing them to bypass more rigorous safety protocols.
In the lawsuit, the jury held FlyNYON 42% responsible for the crash, Liberty Helicopters 38% responsible, and Dart Aerospace, the maker of a flotation device that malfunctioned, 20% responsible. The $116 million verdict represents a major victory for Cadigan’s family, who pursued legal action in hopes of preventing similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
Cadigan’s father, Jerry Cadigan, passed away during the trial, but his family found some measure of justice with the jury’s decision.
