A helicopter pilot has filed a lawsuit against his former employer, alleging severe retaliation for whistleblowing on unsafe practices. The complaint was filed by Drake Foret in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on June 7, 2024, targeting Bristow Group, Inc.
Drake Foret claims that shortly after he was hired as a helicopter pilot in September 2021, he discovered that management at Bristow Group's Houma region was pressuring pilots to violate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations by flying in hazardous weather conditions. Foret alleges that this pressure stemmed from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), which needed to meet inspection quotas to secure its annual budget. On January 2022, Foret reported these unsafe practices to his Regional Manager, Jacob Braden. However, instead of addressing his concerns, Foret claims he faced harassment and derogatory remarks from management.
Foret's allegations further detail an incident in May 2022 where a BSEE inspector collapsed during a flight. Despite Foret's insistence on medical attention, BSEE management attempted to conceal the incident. Following this event, Foret refused to fly in unsafe conditions or transport inspectors who might be at risk. This refusal led to increased harassment and retaliation from Bristow Group's management.
The complaint outlines how Foret was frequently assigned longer flights with single-engine helicopters when twin-engine aircraft were available—assignments typically reserved for shorter distances due to safety and efficiency concerns. He also describes how BGI used these unnecessary flights to inflate BSEE’s workload artificially. Despite reporting these issues multiple times, no action was taken by Bristow Group’s management.
Foret's termination came on June 9, 2023, following continued harassment and retaliatory actions such as being blacklisted from other aviation companies in the Gulf of Mexico due to unfounded negative reports about his performance spread by Bristow Group managers Clay Voss and Jacob Braden. As a result of this blacklisting and ongoing retaliation, Foret relocated to Arizona for employment opportunities.
In his lawsuit, Foret seeks damages exceeding $75,000 for lost wages, emotional distress, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of reputation, and out-of-pocket compensatory damages. He is also requesting punitive damages and attorney fees under the Whistleblower Protection Act and La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 23:13.
The case is being handled by Christopher A. Minias of The Minias Law Firm representing Drake Foret with Judge Lance M. Africk presiding over the proceedings under Case ID: 2:24-cv-01474-LMA-EJD.