Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Over 2023 Private Jet Death

The family of a former White House official who died in a 2023 private jet incident filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Massachusetts court on Monday. The suit alleges pilot errors caused the crash rather than turbulence. The woman, 55, died after a Bombardier Challenger 300 pitched violently up and down shortly after takeoff from New Hampshire in March 2023.

Her husband and teenage son were also onboard the Airshare-operated flight headed for Virginia. They watched her get hurled from the floor to the ceiling, according to the lawsuit. The jet made an emergency landing in Connecticut.

She was rushed to the hospital with fatal injuries including head trauma, spine fractures and over a dozen broken ribs. Her husband and child did not sustain serious injuries. The suit challenges accounts that turbulence triggered the incident.

The flight crew made a series of mistakes including ignoring a warning message and using the wrong protocol when trouble arose, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report. The board found no turbulence occurred. The woman had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident, the NTSB also found.

The family is suing for unspecified damages. Bombardier declined to comment and Airshare did not return a request for comment.