Trial for Mercy Air Med helicopter crash rescheduled for 2016

Published by admin on Thu, 03/19/2015 - 2:54am

A trial date in a federal lawsuit involving the January 2013 crash of a Mercy Air Med helicopter has been rescheduled.  The trial was originally scheduled for Nov. 9, 2015, but will now begin June 6, 2016.

The helicopter crash occurred north of Ventura and killed nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau, paramedic Russ Piehl and pilot Gene Grell. The aircraft was enroute to Emmetsburg when the it crashed.  The National Transportation Safety Board recently ruled icing was the probable cause of the crash.

Lair-Langenbau’s husband, Jay, two minor children and her parents, Gerald and Karen Lair, filed a civil lawsuit in Cerro Gordo County District Court in July 2013. It was moved to federal court in August 2013.

The family alleges negligence on the part of Med-Trans Corp. and pilot Grell for taking off in icy conditions.

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