A tragic aviation accident has led to a high-profile lawsuit involving several major entities, including a tech giant and an aviation company. On July 15, 2024, Jeffrey Rushfeldt filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, against Sergey Brin, Bayshore Global Management LLC, Google LLC, Seafly LLC, Southern Cross Aviation Inc., Turtle-Pac Pty. Ltd., and other unnamed defendants.
The case revolves around the fatal crash of a Viking Air Ltd. DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 aircraft on May 20, 2023. The aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 33 miles west of Half Moon Bay, California. Both pilots on board—Lance Maclean and Dean Rushfeldt—died as a result of the crash. The plaintiffs allege that the defendants' negligence led to this tragic event.
According to the complaint, the aircraft departed from Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa, California, bound for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final destination was a private island in Fiji. Several hours into the flight, the pilots reported issues with the ferry fuel system installed by Seafly LLC mechanic James Kitti at Santa Rosa Airport. Despite having ten hours of fuel on board, only two hours were available due to a malfunctioning fuel transfer system.
The plaintiffs argue that multiple parties contributed to this tragedy through various acts of negligence and violations of Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). They claim that Sergey Brin and his associated companies failed to maintain an airworthy aircraft and did not file necessary flight permits or install authorized ferry fuel systems. Additionally, they accuse Seafly LLC and Southern Cross Aviation Inc. of failing to perform proper maintenance and inspections.
The complaint also highlights that Kitti installed the ferry fuel system "from memory" without referring to any checklist or completing requisite paperwork per FAA regulations. This lack of adherence to safety protocols is cited as a significant factor leading to the crash.
Plaintiffs are seeking economic damages exceeding $50,000 for each category listed in their prayer for relief—including general damages for loss of companionship and emotional distress—and punitive damages for what they describe as egregious conduct by the defendants.
Attorneys Casey Kaufman from Kaufman Law and Joseph LoRusso along with Jessica Schlatter from Ramos Law represent the plaintiffs in this case filed under Case ID: 24CV443048 before Judge A. Montes.