Australia family hurt in helicopter crash suing Vegas firm

By KEN RITTER
Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Four family members from Australia who were injured during a crash-landing of a sightseeing helicopter in December are suing a Las Vegas-based tour operator. Papillon Grand Canyon Tours and its parent company are accused of negligence and liability in the complaint filed Monday in Nevada state court. The civil complaint seeks more than $400,000 in damages. A company executive said Wednesday that Papillon is cooperating with a federal crash investigation and can’t comment on the lawsuit. Authorities said seven people were injured in what officials called a hard landing Dec. 27 at Boulder City Municipal Airport. The lawsuit says a father, mother and two teenagers suffered serious spine injuries. They live in Barwon Heads, near Melbourne, Australia.