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 filed by the family of pilot Dean Rushfeldt, who died in a May 2023 crash of a private aircraft they owned.
The fatal crash, which also killed a co-pilot, resulted from a critical failure in the aircraft's ferry fuel system that prevented fuel transfer to the main tanks, leading to engine failure.
The lawsuit alleged negligence, improper fuel system installation, and non-compliance with FAA regulations as contributing factors, with the specific terms of the settlement remaining undisclosed.

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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.