Matthew B. Collin

A Montana federal judge has added pre- and postjudgment interest to most of a $22 million verdict against **Kaman Aerospace Corp.** in a lawsuit over a helicopter that crashed five years ago, killing a veteran pilot who was fighting a wildfire. Under a ruling issued Friday, U.S. Chief District Judge *Brian Morris* of the District of Montana said **Kaman** must pay 10.5% interest on $12 million of the verdict. Half of the amount subject to interest relates to the destroyed **K-1200 helicopter (K-Max)**, the judge ruled. That $6 million began accruing interest on Aug. 24, 2020, when a defect in the helicopter’s rotor blades allegedly caused *Thomas Duffy*, 40, described in filings as a “world-class rescue pilot,” to lose control and crash, according to the court record. The total interest amount still must be calculated. **Kaman** previously agreed in April to pay $8 million to settle wrongful-death claims brought by *Duffy*’s family. After trial, a jury awarded **Central Copters Inc.**, *Duffy*’s employer, which owned four K-Max helicopters, $22 million in May. The lawsuit alleges the K-Max crashed due to a failure in at least one of the helicopter’s servo flaps, components that allow a pilot to control the pitch of the rotor blades. The jury rejected claims that the servo flaps were defectively designed, instead finding a manufacturing defect, according to the verdict. *Duffy* died on Aug. 24, 2020, while on a mission to drop water on the White River wildfire in Oregon’s Mount Hood National Forest, according to the lawsuit. **Central Copters**, which held an exclusive contract with the U.S. Forest Service, hired him for the job. In addition to interest on the value of the destroyed K-Max *Duffy* was flying, the judge said **Kaman** must also pay interest on three other K-Max helicopters that **Central Copters** says it sold at a loss after the crash. Following the incident, **Central Copters** grounded its entire fleet of K-Max helicopters. Each was valued at $5.2 million to $5.9 million, according to the company’s expert, but the helicopters were later sold below market value. The jury awarded $6 million for losses tied to the three grounded helicopters. Overall, the verdict included $6 million for the destroyed helicopter, $6 million for the reduced value of the other helicopters, and $10 million in lost past and future profits. Judge *Morris* ordered 10.5% interest on the $12 million related to the helicopters, with the date of sale determining when pre-judgment interest begins to accrue. He also awarded **Central Copters** nearly $40,000 in taxable costs and denied the company’s request for interest on $958,000 in lost profits. Counsel for the parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday. **Kaman** is represented by *Mark S. Williams* of **Williams Law Firm PC**, and by *Kevin M. Smith* and *Robyn Gallagher* of **Wiggin and Dana LLP**. **Central Copters** and the *Duffy* family are represented by *Kellie Gaston Sironi* of **Gaston Law Firm**, by *Matthew B. Hayhurst* and *Tyler M. Stockton* of **Boone Karlberg PC**, and by *Calvin J. Stacey* of **Stacey & Funyak**. The case is *Central Copters Inc. v. Kaman Aerospace Corp.*, case number 2:21-cv-00071, in the **U.S. District Court for the District of Montana**.