IN RE: Helicopter Crash Near Lake Charles, Louisiana, on September 15, 1983

; : Case MDL No. 615 Document 2 Filed 06/01/15 Page 1 of 2
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| - FnFLi HELHEISTRICT UITIC ATION
[ ] | LED2
| Eo DOCKET NO. 615 ROY -6 1984
: BEFORE THE JUDICIAL PANEL ON MULTIDISTRICT LIRAGRCLOB. -0w!:y
CLERK OF THE panrL
IN RE HELICOPTER CRASH NEAR LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA, ON SEPTEMRER 15,
1983 “>
TRANSFER ORDER
| This litigation consists of two actions, one each pending in the
| Western District of Louisiana and the Southern District of Texas.
| Before the Panel is a motion by defendants to transfer, pursuant to 28
U.S.C. §1407, the Texas action to the Western District of Louisiana
for coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings with the action
pending there. The Louisiana plaintiffs do not oppose transfer.
On the basis of the papers filed and the hearing held, the Panel
finds that the actions in this litigation involve common questions of
: fact and that centralization under Section 1407 in the Western Dis-
| trict of Louisiana will best serve the convenience of the parties and
witnesses and promote the just and efficient conduct of this litiga-
| tion. These actions arise from the September 15, 1983 crash of aMesserschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm B0105 helicopter into the Gulf of Mexico
approximately eighteen miles off the coast of Louisiana near Lake
@, Charles. Transfer under Section 1407 is desirable in order to avoid	" guplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, and con-
= 7 serve the resources of the parties, their counsel and the judiciary.
-We are persuaded that the Western District of Louisiana is the
" appropriate transferee forum. We note that 1) the Western District of
Louisiana is closer to the accident scene than the Southern District
of Texas and 2) the helicopter wreckage is presently stored in
Louisiana.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDFRED that, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1407, the
action listed on the attached Schedule A and pending in the Southern
District of Texas be, and the same hereby is, transferred to the
| Western District of Louisiana and, with the consent of that court,
i assigned to the Honorable Larl Ernest Veron for coordinated or
| consolidated pretriel proceedings with the action pending in that
district and listed on Schedule A.
FOR THE PANEL:
Corser«. a	Andrew A. Carfirf)y :
® Chairman

‘ CL Case MDL No. 615 Document 2 Filed 06/01/15, Page 2 of 2
- SCHEDULE A
MDL-615 -- IN RE HELICOPTER CRASH NEAR LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA, ON
SEPTEMBER 15, 1983
Southern District of Texas
Janice Marie Champagne, et al. v. Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH, et al.,
Civil Action No. G-814-9%
Western District of Louisiana )
Suzanne B. Mallett, et al. v. Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH, et al.,
Civil Action No. CVBL4-06L8
a ®