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MONTREAL — A U.S. helicopter manufacturer said Saturday it intends to challenge a $50-million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the estate of a Quebec greenhouse magnate over a 2019 fatal crash.
David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, issued a statement that the company looks forward to discussing discrepancies over what it says caused the crash that claimed the lives of Savoura CEO Stéphane Roy and his teenage son.
Robinson is the manufacturer of the R44 helicopter that crashed in Quebec in July 2019, killing Roy, 55, and his son Justin Roy Séguin, who were returning from a fishing trip. The father and son were reported missing on July 11, 2019 — one day after they failed to return home to Ste-Sophie, Que., north of Montreal.
The downed chopper was found in a wooded area near Lac Valtrie, Que., about 220 kilometres northwest of Montreal, 14 days after the Roys were reported missing.
“Robinson Helicopter (RHC) takes all accidents very seriously, including the tragic 2019 Lac Valtrie accident that took the lives of Mr. Roy and his son,” Smith said. “RHC is committed to making sure that future accidents with similar circumstances are prevented in the future.”
He added the company wants to set “the record straight about all of the facts” of what happened.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated and issued a report in March 2021 that found the failure of a main rotor blade was a key factor in the crash.
Smith said Robinson Helicopter Company participated in that accident investigation and alleges it provided information that contradicts the TSB’s findings, but alleges that evidence that carburetor icing caused the engine to fail was ignored.
“With only select facts discussed, we believe the TSB report is highly flawed,” Smith said. “RHC welcomes a full re-evaluation of the evidence, examining the importance of carburetor icing prevention.”
An email to the TSB seeking comment was not immediately returned on Saturday.
Smith said the company looks forward to addressing discrepancies in Quebec Superior Court.
The lawsuit was initially filed in California in July 2021 but Robinson Helicopter sought to have the case moved to Quebec, a step that was affirmed in January 2025 by the California Court of Appeal.
According to the Quebec filing, the estate is seeking $25 million in compensatory damages and another $25 million in punitive damages. A lawsuit filed on Thursday in Quebec Superior Court accuses Robinson Helicopter Company Inc. of negligence in the two deaths.
Daniel Roy, brother of Stéphane Roy and executor of the estate, said in a statement Friday that the family is determined to get to the truth.
“Our mission is to end these preventable tragedies and hold Robinson accountable,” he said in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2025.
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
