According to a report from Bloomberg, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is being sued for wrongful death by the widow of the pilot who was flying one of Brin’s planes from Santa Rosa to his private island in Fiji. The plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, killing the pilot and his co-pilot.
In the lawsuit, it is alleged that Brin’s seaplane was improperly outfitted with a malfunctioning auxiliary fuel tank, which caused the crash. Alphabet Inc.’s Google, the maintenance company, and the firm that hired the pilots were named as co-defendants in the lawsuit.
The lawyer representing the pilot’s widow stated that Brin, being one of the richest people in the world, had the capability to recover the aircraft and the remains of those lost, but failed to do so.
Both Brin and Google have not yet responded to the requests for comments on the matter.
The plane, a Viking Air Ltd DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400, was being flown to Fiji so Brin could treat his guests to some island hopping. According to the lawsuit, the billionaire often hosts parties around the world and flies his guests from the US on his US$15mil wide-body jet.
Out of fuel
The lawsuit alleges that the plane did not have sufficient fuel capacity to reach Hawaii, so an auxiliary system was installed inside the fuselage with a faulty assembly. This eventually led to fuel not transferring properly and causing the crash.
The lawsuit also accuses Brin of obstructing the recovery effort by delaying and misrepresenting information about the crash. Brin’s representatives were accused of leaving the pilot at the bottom of the ocean, along with evidence that would establish responsibility for the crash.
News of this lawsuit comes after Brin publicly assured the pilot’s widow that her husband’s remains would be recovered, despite privately working to delay and obstruct the effort.
Regarding the recovery effort, Brin’s representatives allegedly told the pilot’s widow that NOAA was blocking recovery efforts, which was later denied by NOAA.
Overall, the lawsuit accuses Brin of not only being responsible for the crash, but also intentionally obstructing the recovery efforts, leaving the pilots and the aircraft at the bottom of the ocean. – Bloomberg
