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Flight nurses injured in Colo. crash file lawsuit

The lawsuits claim the helicopter had a malfunction or design defect

ABC7

DENVER — Two flight nurses who were badly injured in a Flight for Life helicopter crash on July 3 in Frisco filed lawsuits Friday against the helicopter’s operating company, its manufacturer and distributor. The helicopter pilot did not survive the crash.

The two lawsuits -- one filed for each survivor -- claim the Airbus Helicopter AS350-B3e crashed soon after takeoff from a helipad at the St. Anthony’s Summit Medical Center because the “helicopter became uncontrollable due to either a malfunction or design defect of the tail rotor system.” The lawsuits also claim that the “helicopter was not safe and crashworthy in that the fuel tank ruptured and burst into flames upon moderate ground impact.”

The lawsuits were filed in Summit County District Court on behalf of the two flight nurses, David Repsher, 45, of Silverthorne and Matthew Bowe, 32, of Frisco. It names as defendants Air Methods Corporation, the helicopter operator; the helicopter manufacturer, Airbus Helicopters S.A.S. of France; and its distributor, Airbus Helicopters, Inc. of Grand Prairie, Texas.

Read full story: Nurses injured in deadly Flight for Life crash sue helicopter operator, manufacturer, distributor