NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The manufacturer of a helicopter that crashed in Louisiana in 2009, killing eight people, is defending itself against accusations that it hid a damning internal report to conceal its liability.
The owner of the helicopter, PHI Inc., wants a federal judge to sanction Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. for allegedly hiding a report by one of its engineers that concluded that Sikorsky's faulty design caused its helicopter to crash near Morgan City.
On Wednesday, lawyers for Sikorsky acknowledged making mistakes during court proceedings, but said the company did not hide the document.
U.S. Magistrate Karen Wells Roby took the case under advisement, saying the charges were serious and that she would not make a hasty ruling.
