ANTELOPE VALLEY : Widows of 4 Pilots Sue Helicopter Manufacturer

The widows of four servicemen killed in a pair of helicopter crashes at Edwards Air Force Base in 1991 have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the helicopters’ manufacturer and several parts suppliers seeking millions of dollars in damages, Texas court records showed Monday.

Three women filed one lawsuit and the fourth woman filed the other suit in recent months against Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. of Ft. Worth, which built the UH-1N helicopters, and three other companies.

The lawsuits stem from two Air Force crashes at Edwards involving the twin-engine utility helicopters. The first, on Jan. 14, 1991, killed two crewmen and injured two others. The second, on Oct. 10, 1991, killed three crewmen and slightly injured one.

Two Marine Corps helicopters also crashed in Southern California in 1990 and 1991, bringing to 11 the number of servicemen killed in four UH-1N crashes in California in 15 months.

Bell executives declined comment .