What an idiot. http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100312_12_A13_TAHLEQ704104
“A Federal Aviation Authority spokesman, Roland Herwig, said last year that the FAA had not taken any enforcement actions against Mahaney and that it would have been Mahaney’s responsibility to report a DUI offense.”
So, in addition to an outstanding DUI, he also had 2 counts of driving under suspension and was a meth-head. I guess we can also add criminal background checks to the licensing process now. I wonder if a suit will be filed with the FAA, claiming that they should have run a check and found out about his past?
“…that it would have been Mahaney’s responsibility to report a DUI offense.”
Right. So the FAA bets on the honesty of the pilots to determine who had DUIs? I don’t know, is there a national database of DUI offenders? Then it probably wouldn’t be too hard to run the database of offenders against that of FAA licensed pilots? If only twice a year or so.
What an idiot.
Nail on the head…
It said in the article, the victim’s mother is going to sue all involved, including the Robinson Helicopter Co. 
On what grounds?
I don’t even see his parents being liable.
They’ll sue anyone and anything where they think they can get a buck. 
WHOA!
If she’s going that far, might as well sue: The Estate of Igor Sikorsky, FS Farm Supply, Sudafed, The hillbillies in at lot 5, oh and the creator for putting the human element into this episode.
uhm…you forgot the meth dealer. Might as well get him too.
Not so much a national database, but more of a state thing that should be available at your local DMV or whatever acronym is used in your state. A driver record printout. If most major trucking companies can pull my driving record to check on occasion, why can’t the FAA?
That might be the only one who would send you into witness protection programs if u think about it lol
Maybe she was flying without any training or a license since he might have been under the influence at the time. Where were they going? At 5am were they up early or playing through from the previous night’s bender?
Yes, there is it’s called the National Driver Register, and it’s operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Data is shared between the NHTSA and the FAA. However, under Federal Aviation Regulations, pilots are still required to self-report many types of motor vehicle offenses to the FAA, either directly or via their applications for medical certificates.
[SARCASM]The helicopter (all aircraft in general) has an inherent design flaw which makes it prone to crash when intoxicated pilots and other morons try to fly. Despite the design flaw, the company continues to manufacture the product.[/SARCASM]
It’s standard procedure. The lawyer(s) know that the company will have to spend money to defend themselves. Rather than spend that money defending the baseless suit, the company will offer an amount that is lower than their estimated cost in settlement. Call it “a cost of doing business”.
If plaintiffs had to pay defense costs if they lose such a suit, this kind of frivolity would not exist.
Well said, but don’t forget who makes the rules and who gets paid on both sides of every suit.