Families sue U.S. manufacturer over helicopter crash that killed 6 Canadian military members

The families of six Canadian Armed Forces members killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Greece are suing the aircraft's U.S. manufacturer, accusing it of gross negligence and a reckless disregard for safety.

The families of six Canadian Armed Forces members killed in a helicopter crash off the coast of Greece are suing the aircraft's U.S. manufacturer, accusing it of gross negligence and a reckless disregard for safety.

A 2021 air force flight safety investigation concluded the CH-148 Cyclone helicopter hit the Ionian Sea at full speed in April 2020 after the pilot tried to manually override the flight control function and did not see that the autopilot was still engaged.

The families' U.S.-based civil action claim alleges Sikorsky's computer-regulated flight control system took "control of the helicopter from its pilots, causing it to plunge into the sea at more than 150 miles per hour," Stephen Raynes, the lawyer acting for the victims' families, said in a media statement.

As the helicopter went down, "the pilots and the passengers all knew that they were going to die," the claim says. Its allegations have not been tested in court.
 
A spokesperson for Sikorsky told CBC News the company "denies the allegations in the complaint" and is "prepared to vigorously defend against them in court."