Companies deny wrongdoing in fatal Virginia helicopter crash

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The company that manufactured a helicopter that crashed and killed two Virginia state troopers monitoring a white nationalist rally says it’s not guilty of negligence and fraud.

The Daily Progress reports widows Amanda Bates and Karen Cullen filed a lawsuit in June that accuses various companies responsible for manufacturing and maintaining the helicopter of wrongdoing in their husbands’ deaths. They allege the helicopter that crashed the day of the 2017 Charlottesville rally should’ve been retired and didn’t receive proper inspections.

The lawsuit names entities of Rolls-Royce Corp. and Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Dallas Airmotive Inc., Triumph Group Inc., Uniflight West Penn LLC and Goodrich Pump & Engine Control Systems Inc.

Bell Helicopter Textron and Rolls-Royce deny responsibility and say the claims are insufficient. Dallas Airmotive filed a motion to dismiss.