3 Claims Filed in Airport Collision : Santa Paula: The family of a pilot killed in the February midair crash asks for $15 million.

The family of a pilot killed in a midair collision in which another man died and actor Kirk Douglas was injured has filed wrongful death claims against the city of Santa Paula, Ventura County and the state.

The family of Lee Manelski, 46, a stunt pilot killed when his plane collided with a helicopter at Santa Paula Airport on Feb. 13, filed the three claims, each asking for $5 million in damages.

The claims contend that the design of the airport contributed to the accident.

A lawyer for the family said a similar claim is being prepared against Santa Paula Airport, a private general aviation field on the southern edge of Santa Paula. The airport has no tower or air-traffic controllers.

A claim is legally required before a lawsuit can be filed against a public agency.

The accident occurred when Manelski’s Pitts Aerobatic aircraft collided with a Bell JetRanger helicopter piloted by Noel Blanc, son of the late cartoon voice Mel Blanc and himself the voice of some cartoon characters.

Manelski and his student pilot, David Tomlinson, 18, died in the collision in which Douglas, Blanc and a third occupant in the helicopter, Beverly Hills Police Officer Michael Carra, were injured.

Earlier this month, Santa Paula police said a criminal investigation found no violation of state law by the pilots. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are expected to issue a joint report on the accident later this year.

The claims, filed with the respective agencies July 11, contend that the helicopter pad is too close to the runway and cannot be seen from an aircraft taking off from the east end of the runway.

This design “creates a dangerous and defective conditions, which in part or in whole was the cause of this accident,” the claims said.

Daniel Cathcart, an attorney for Manelski’s mother, Dale O’Brien, and his three children, acknowledged, however, that he is uncertain whether the county, the city of Santa Paula or the state were negligent in the crash. But he said the family had to file the claims within a state-mandated six-month period after the accident or lose the opportunity to file a lawsuit.

Ventura County Counsel James McBride said he was unaware of the claim but added that the county has no jurisdiction over the Santa Paula Airport.

A spokesperson for the city of Santa Paula could not be reached.

Cathcart said he believes the crash was mostly the result of the helicopter, piloted by Blanc, flying over the runway as Manelski was taking off.

“We have determined that fault clearly lies with the helicopter,” Cathcart said.

In his first public comments on the accident, Blanc said he sympathizes with Manelski’s family. But he defended his actions on the day of the collision.

“I feel terrible about the whole thing,” Blanc said. “But I feel I was 100% in the right.”

Blanc said he has been a pilot for nearly 10 years and was using the proper precautions when he lifted off.

“I’ve flown the airport many times, and I used the radio extensively,” he said, adding that he is confident that the final NTSB and FAA investigations will exonerate him.

“When the truth comes out with the FAA, they’ll realize the truth and that’s all I can tell you,” he said.

Blanc said he was flying his longtime friend, Douglas, from the airport after conferring with a local woman about editing a book for the actor.