{"id":1986551,"date":"2026-06-12T11:32:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T08:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1986551"},"modified":"2026-06-12T11:32:48","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T08:32:48","slug":"trial-underway-in-wrongful-death-suit-over-2021-alaska-helicopter-crash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1986551","title":{"rendered":"Trial Underway in Wrongful Death Suit Over 2021 Alaska Helicopter Crash."},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_410867\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-410867\" style=\"width: 1437px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-410867 size-full lazyload\" title=\"Heli crash near Knik Glacier\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAFPAQMAAADnVe2cAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADFJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20Gf6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADgMaf8AAZ7pIxwAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt=\"Alaska heli-crash near Knik Glacier in 2021\" width=\"640\" height=\"335\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?resize=640%2C335&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?w=1437&amp;ssl=1 1437w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?resize=300%2C157&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?resize=1200%2C628&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?resize=768%2C402&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"335\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-410867 size-full\" title=\"Heli crash near Knik Glacier\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/heli-crash.jpg?resize=640%2C335&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Alaska heli-crash near Knik Glacier in 2021\" width=\"640\" height=\"335\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-410867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The wreckage of Soloy Helicopters Airbus AS350B3 that crashed near the Knik Glacier on March 27, 2021. | Photo: Alaska State Troopers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_1 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>A wrongful death trial is now underway in Anchorage Superior Court stemming from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-adventure\/snow-sports\/what-happened-deadly-alaskan-heli-crash\/\">o<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/outdoor-adventure\/snow-sports\/what-happened-deadly-alaskan-heli-crash\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ne of the deadliest heli-skiing accidents<\/a> in North American history: the March 27, 2021 Alaska helicopter crash near the Knik Glacier. <\/strong>The trial is now in its second week in Anchorage Superior Court, with dueling testimony focused on a single question at the heart of the case: did operators fail to launch an emergency response quickly enough after a helicopter went down near the Knik Glacier\u2014 and did that failure cost lives?<\/p>\n<p><strong>The crash killed five of six people onboard, including Czech billionaire Petr Kellner, 56, who was among the wealthiest people in Central Europe.<\/strong> The lawsuit, filed by the representative of Kellner\u2019s estate on behalf of his family, alleges Kellner survived the initial impact but died before rescuers arrived because operators failed to promptly recognize the helicopter was down and initiate an emergency response.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adn.com\/alaska-news\/2021\/03\/29\/ntsb-helicopter-crash-that-killed-5-occurred-near-the-top-of-a-high-ridge-above-the-knik-glacier\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Airbus AS350B3<\/a> operated by Wasilla-based <a href=\"https:\/\/www.soloyhelicopters.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Soloy Helicopters<\/a> crashed near the Knik Glacier, Alaska during a heli-skiing trip booked by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tordrillomountainlodge.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tordrillo Mountain Lodge.<\/a><\/strong> The helicopter carried pilot Zachary Russell, 33, guides Sean McManamy, 38, of Girdwood, and Gregory Harms, 52, of Colorado, clients Kellner and Benjamin Larochaix, 50, of the Czech Republic, and snowboarder David Horv\u00e1th.<code><\/code><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/worlds-richest-men-killed-alaska-heli-ski-tragedy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One of World\u2019s Richest Men Was 1 of 5 Killed in Alaska Heli-Skiing Tragedy on Saturday<\/a> <\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded in its <a href=\"https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/28178337-ntsb-final-report-soloy\/?embed=1\">final report<\/a> that the crash was caused by pilot error during a whiteout encounter.<\/strong> Federal investigators determined Russell failed to adequately respond after losing visual reference in blowing snow while attempting to land on a ridgeline. The helicopter struck an outcrop near the top of a ridge and rolled approximately 900 feet downhill.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Horv\u00e1th was the sole survivor, sustaining severe injuries including frostbite that resulted in the loss of several fingers. <\/strong>He told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.alaskasnewssource.com\/2024\/05\/10\/only-survivor-deadly-2021-heli-skiing-crash-speaks-out\/\">Alaskan News Source<\/a> in 2024 that he was trapped in the wreckage for hours and last saw Kellner walking outside after the crash.<code><\/code><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>Related:<\/em> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/aviation-report-pilot-lacked-key-training-and-lead-ski-guide-had-elevated-cocaine-levels-in-fatal-alaska-helicopter-crash-that-killed-5-including-czech-billionaire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aviation Report: Pilot Lacked Key Training and Lead Ski Guide Had Elevated Cocaine Levels in Fatal Alaska Helicopter Crash That Killed 5, Including Czech Billionaire<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_363301\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-363301\" style=\"width: 992px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-363301 size-full lazyload\" title=\"Soloy Helicopters is the operation in which the accident near Knik glacier took place\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGqAQMAAACh3GetAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADhJREFUeNrtwQENAAAAwqD3T20ON6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD4NobKAAFhB0TLAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt=\"Heli skiing Alaska\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VUVFIXDACJBH7HLTXKLH6HJEDM.jpeg?resize=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VUVFIXDACJBH7HLTXKLH6HJEDM.jpeg?w=992&amp;ssl=1 992w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VUVFIXDACJBH7HLTXKLH6HJEDM.jpeg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VUVFIXDACJBH7HLTXKLH6HJEDM.jpeg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VUVFIXDACJBH7HLTXKLH6HJEDM.jpeg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"426\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-363301 size-full\" title=\"Soloy Helicopters is the operation in which the accident near Knik glacier took place\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/VUVFIXDACJBH7HLTXKLH6HJEDM.jpeg?resize=640%2C426&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"Heli skiing Alaska\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-363301\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Soloy Helicopters is headquartered Wasilla Airport. Photographed on Monday, March 29, 2021 (Marc Lester \/ ADN)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>The wrongful death suit names Soloy Helicopters, Triumvirate LLC \u2014 which does business as Tordrillo Mountain Lodge \u2014 and Third Edge Alaska LLC, a guiding and operations company that was administratively dissolved in 2022.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The NTSB documented the timeline of the delayed response in its <a href=\"https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/28178337-ntsb-final-report-soloy\/?embed=1\">final report<\/a>.<\/strong> The flight follower assigned to track the helicopter waited 41 minutes after the last recorded signal before notifying a supervisor. It was 1 hour and 50 minutes before the lodge\u2019s flight team notified Soloy the aircraft was overdue. A rescue team reached the scene approximately 5 hours and 40 minutes after the crash.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The NTSB said it could not determine whether an earlier rescue would have saved the passengers who died \u2014 but its medical team concluded a quicker rescue would have reduced Horv\u00e1th\u2019s injuries.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><strong>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/widow-of-czech-billionaire-who-died-in-2021-helicopter-crash-sues-operators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Widow of Czech Billionaire Who Died in 2021 Helicopter Crash Sues Heliski Operators \u2013 SnowBrains<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Helicopter operations expert witness Corey Taylor testified Monday, June 8, that Tordrillo Mountain Lodge did not take key steps after the helicopter went missing. <\/strong>Asked whether the lodge sent a reconnaissance flight or initiated its emergency response plan, Taylor replied: \u201cThey did not.\u201d Asked whether Tordrillo Mountain Lodge alerted basic search and rescue resources available to it that night, Taylor again replied: \u201cThey did not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Defense attorneys pressed Taylor on whether those omissions amounted to regulatory violations, drawing a distinction between minimum legal requirements and industry best practices. <\/strong>\u201cI think that they were probably within the FAA regulations, but I would consider it to be outside best practice,\u201d Taylor said. That distinction \u2014 between regulatory compliance and best practice \u2014 is likely to be central to how the jury weighs the lodge\u2019s culpability.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_363303\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-363303\" style=\"width: 992px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-363303 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAG1AQMAAABTXNfjAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADlJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20Gf6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAuA2KRQAB2CtFdQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt=\"heli ski crash\" width=\"640\" height=\"437\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JCUPONYXKVEVFEN7QI6MREY5AU.jpeg?resize=640%2C437&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JCUPONYXKVEVFEN7QI6MREY5AU.jpeg?w=992&amp;ssl=1 992w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JCUPONYXKVEVFEN7QI6MREY5AU.jpeg?resize=300%2C205&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JCUPONYXKVEVFEN7QI6MREY5AU.jpeg?resize=768%2C524&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JCUPONYXKVEVFEN7QI6MREY5AU.jpeg?resize=600%2C409&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"437\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-363303 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/JCUPONYXKVEVFEN7QI6MREY5AU.jpeg?resize=640%2C437&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"heli ski crash\" width=\"640\" height=\"437\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-363303\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers with the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group are on the scene of the helicopter crash in the Chugach Mountains near the Knik Glacier, Sunday, March 29, 2021. (Alaska Mountain Rescue Group photo via Alaska State Troopers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;display: block;clear: both\">\n<!-- GAM 71161633\/SNWBR_snowbrains\/article_hrec_2 --><\/p>\n<div data-fuse=\"article_hrec_2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Kellner\u2019s legal team contends Tordrillo Mountain Lodge allowed an inexperienced pilot to fly clients in an area outside its normal terrain and then failed to check in with the group or send rescue despite being able to see the helicopter was not moving.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Tordrillo\u2019s legal team disputes those claims, arguing that Soloy Helicopters \u2014 not the lodge \u2014 was responsible for tracking the aircraft and ensuring flight safety.<\/strong> The lodge maintains the crash itself killed Kellner, rather than the delay in rescue.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The NTSB\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/28178337-ntsb-final-report-soloy\/?embed=1\">final report<\/a> attributed the probable cause of the accident to the pilot\u2019s failure to respond to an encounter with whiteout conditions and listed contributing factors including the helicopter\u2019s emergency alert device failing to broadcast a strong signal after the violent impact sheared off an external antenna.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The trial is being heard by retired Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger and is expected to continue over the coming weeks.<\/strong> Kellner\u2019s family is seeking damages for his pain and suffering, financial loss due to his death, and punitive damages intended to penalise and deter the lodge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Kellner had made numerous trips to the lodge prior to the fatal accident.<\/strong> His estate is represented in the proceedings as the formal plaintiff.<code><\/code><\/p>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The wreckage of Soloy Helicopters Airbus AS350B3 that crashed near the Knik Glacier on March 27, 2021. | Photo: Alaska State Troopers A wrongful death trial is now underway in Anchorage Superior Court stemming from one of the deadliest heli-skiing accidents in North American history: the March 27, 2021 Alaska helicopter crash near the Knik [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1986551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1986551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1986551\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1986551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1986551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1986551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}