A North Carolina judge ordered $50 million in compensation for the family of WBTV meteorologist Jason Myers, killed in a 2022 helicopter crash due to faulty inspections.

A North Carolina judge has ordered $50 million in compensation for the family of Jason Myers, a WBTV meteorologist killed in a 2022 helicopter crash during a training flight in Charlotte. The court found the aircraft operators—Total Traffic & Weather Network, iHeartCommunications, and iHeartMedia—liable due to inadequate inspections that led to loose hardware and loss of control, per a National Transportation Safety Board report. The payment will come from the companies’ primary insurers, with the family seeking additional funds from excess insurers. Myers’ widow and legal team say the case has spurred industry-wide safety improvements, and the pilot was praised for avoiding a collision with Interstate 77 traffic.