ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. – The family of a copilot who tragically lost his life in a plane crash in January 2022 has recently filed a lawsuit, arguing that the crash was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, contradicting the findings of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The crash, which took place in a wooded area of St. Charles County, claimed the lives of both pilot Amanda Youngblood and copilot George F. King. The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that a malfunction with the airplane’s cabin heater filled the cabin with toxic carbon monoxide gas, leading to the pilots’ poisoning and ultimately causing the crash.
While the NTSB’s report cited the cause of the crash as the pilot’s loss of control due to “spatial disorientation,” the lawsuit claims that toxicology testing after King’s death showed a severe level of carbon monoxide poisoning in his blood. The lawsuit further asserts that the toxicology report underestimated the actual percentage of carbon monoxide saturation in King’s blood at the time of his death.
The lawsuit also outlines a timeline of events leading up to the crash, alleging that the copilot and pilot began breathing in carbon monoxide after the heater was turned on before the flight took off. Despite the NTSB’s findings, which did not mention carbon monoxide poisoning, the lawsuit contends that the heater did indeed contribute to the tragic outcome.
The NTSB’s report also noted that both pilots lacked experience with night flights, raising questions about their qualifications for the flight. The lawsuit has requested a jury trial, though no hearings have been scheduled thus far.
This lawsuit brings new information to light and raises important questions about the cause of the tragic plane crash. As the legal process unfolds, it remains to be seen how these new claims will be addressed in the ongoing investigation into the crash.