Lawsuit Settled in Helicopter Deaths of 2 LAPD Officers
The families of two Los Angeles police officers killed in a fiery helicopter crash four years ago have agreed to an $8-million settlement with the aircraft’s engine manufacturer and its Texas-based subsidiary.
During the middle of a trial that was being held in Ft. Worth, Turbomeca S.A. of France and Turbomeca Engine Corp. of Grand Prairie, Tex., last week agreed to the settlement that will be paid to the families of the two policemen, pilot Gary Howe and Charles R. (Randy) Champe.
The two were killed June 13, 1991, when the helicopter they were flying in crashed while they were on patrol.
“It doesn’t quite close the story but it is a significant step,” said Joseph T. Cook, the Orange County lawyer who represented the two families.
The crash occurred in a working-class neighborhood of Southwest Los Angeles after Champe radioed that the helicopter was “going down with an engine failure.”
Seconds later, the helicopter burst into flames in a vacant lot, after Howe apparently took evasive action to avoid hitting nearby Normandie Elementary School.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
