Google Cofounder Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit of Private Pilot

Viking Air Twin Otter Series 400 crashed in the Pacific Ocean, killing two pilots.

Caleb Revill

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 09:30 AM ET

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Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Viking Air aircraft [Courtesy: Shutterstock | Jordan Tan]

Key Takeaways:

Sergey Brin and associated entities have settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of pilot Dean Rushfeldt, who died in a May 2023 crash involving a private aircraft owned by Brin.
The crash, which also killed a co-pilot, was reportedly caused by a malfunctioning ferry fuel system that failed to transfer fuel to the main tanks, leading to engine failure over the Pacific Ocean.
The lawsuit alleged negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, and improper installation of the ferry fuel system as contributing factors to the fatal accident.

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Google cofounder Sergey Brin has settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of a pilot killed in a crash while flying a private aircraft owned by Brin, Bayshore Global Management, and Google.

Dean Rushfeldt was one of two pilots killed in the crash while transporting a Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 400 from Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (KSTS) in Santa Rosa, California, to Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (KHNL) in May 2023. No other passengers were on board the airplane.