Hawaii helicopter crash victims sue

Associated Press – December 27, 2007 6:54 PM ET

HONOLULU (AP) – A New Hampshire couple seriously injured in a fatal Kauai helicopter crash has filed a lawsuit.

It claims the aircraft’s owner and parts manufacturer used faulty designs and substandard materials.

Fifty-1-year-old Judy Barton is paralyzed from the waist down following the March eleventh crash. Her 60-year-old husband, Douglas Barton, suffered a broken arm.

Another passenger, Michael Gershon of California, died in the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said the helicopter was nearing the end of a sightseeing tour when it lost its tail rotor and entered into a tight spin, crashing into a YMCA camp.

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

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