A federal judge has ruled that the government is liable for a nighttime collision involving a snowmobiler who crashed into a parked Black Hawk helicopter in Massachusetts and awarded him $3.3 million in damages.

The federal government was mostly responsible for a nighttime collision involving a snowmobiler who nearly died after hitting a Black Hawk helicopter that was parked on a Massachusetts trail, a judge ruled in awarding him $3.3 million in damages.

U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni blamed both parties for the March 2019 crash in his ruling Monday, but said the government was 60% responsible for parking the helicopter on a snowmobile trail. He criticized Jeff Smith for not operating the snowmobile safely, for speeding and for wearing tinted goggles.

  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
    32·
    12 hours ago

    …parking a camouflaged 64-foot (19.5-meter) aircraft on a rarely used airfield also used by snowmobilers.

    Smith also sued the owner of Albert Farms airfield in Worthington, accusing them of both giving permission to snowmobilers to use the trail and the Black Hawk crew to land in the same area. He settled with the farm owner for an undisclosed sum.

    Needs a caution sign “this is an airfield, use at your own risk”.

  • credo@lemmy.world
    374·
    12 hours ago

    Driving past your headlights is your fault. Can’t sue a fallen tree or a deer can you?

    Also, what a weird place for a random black hawk. Or rather, what a weird idea for a dual purpose airfield/snowmobile trail.

    • unexposedhazard
      21·
      10 hours ago

      Its literally a non reflective matt black vehicle. I doubt more headlights would have helped him much.

    • tyler@programming.dev
      43·
      12 hours ago

      Not to blame the rider because parking a fucking helicopter on a snowmobile trail is idiotic, but why the fuck was he wearing tinted goggles at night!?!?!

      • JamesTBagg@lemmy.world
        2·
        5 hours ago

        Smith’s lawyers argued that the crew of the Black Hawk helicopter that flew from New York’s Fort Drum to Worthington, Massachusetts, for night training was negligent for parking a camouflaged 64-foot (19.5-meter) aircraft on a rarely used airfield also used by snowmobilers.

        The helicopter landed on an air strip approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and the crew members testified that trainings are often conducted in similar locations.

        Sounds like snowmobiles were using an airfield.

      • Nastybutler@lemmy.world
        3·
        6 hours ago

        In winter the sun causes really strong glare off of snow, and the sun sets sooner than in the summer. He probably started riding when the sun was up, and didn’t think to bring a clear lens for his goggles for when the sun set.