Former soldier sues helicopter manufacturer after Blackhawk crash

A former U.S. soldier is suing over claims an aerospace design firm was at fault for a helicopter crash, resulting in serious injuries.

Matthew J. Smith filed a lawsuit Jan. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas against Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Sikorsky Support Services, United Technologies Corp., Parker-Hannifin Corp. and Parker Aerospace Group, citing negligence.

The plaintiff alleges that on Jan. 12, 2009, shortly after takeoff, his UH-60L Blackhawk helicopter began to spin to the left, and continued to do so until it crashed in Brazos County.

According to the complaint, the defendants were negligent in designing the yaw boost servo, and failed to properly warn pilots of its potential dangers.

Smith, represented by James A. Hall of Branton, Hall, Rodriguez and Cruz, is seeking damages in excess of $100,000.

U.S. District Court Case No. 4:14-cv-00091

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the federal courthouse. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint is an accusation and is not an indication of guilt; it only represents one side of the story.