Plane Crash Lawyer Aviation Attorney

• Approximately 80 percent of all plane crashes occur shortly before or after takeoff or landing due to human error or mechanical failures.
• According to an aviation accident survey of nearly 2,200 plane crashes from 1950 to 2004, the number one cause of aviation accidents is pilot error, which results in 45 percent of accidents. Undetermined causes: 33 percent. Mechanical failure: 13 percent.
• In 2005, there were a total of 1,764 aviation accidents in the United States that resulted in 600 fatalities. Low-level maneuvering of an aircraft was the leading cause of fatal aviation accidents from 1998 to 2004.
• In 2004, more than 70 percent of all plane crashes that ended in serious injury or fatality occurred during a personal flight. General aviation accidents occur more frequently than airline or business aviation accidents.
• The most recent statistics on midair collisions has shown a steady decline. In 2004, there were 10 midair accidents resulting in 10 fatalities compared to 11 collisions in 2003 with 23 deaths.

Some of the most common causes of aviation accidents include:

• pilot error,
• negligence by a flight service employee or air traffic controller,
• faulty equipment or mechanical failure,
• weather,
• and sabotage.
• Violations of Federal Aviation Administration safety regulations and aviation law are also a frequent cause of aviation accidents.

Lawsuits Filed over Fatal Appalachian Crash

Feb 7 , 2007 -

One lawsuit stemming from the fatal October 24, 2004 plane crash that killed 10 was settled last week. Two more lawsuits are still pending, at least one of which is against regional air traffic controllers.

Among those who died on the plane were the son, brother, and two nieces of Rick Hendrick, Hendrick Motorsports team general manager.

The wife of Rick Hendrick settled the lawsuit with the company, but the settlement terms are undisclosed.

The Hendrick Motorsports Beech King Air 200, was transporting 10 passengers, including 2 flight crew members. Flying through fog, the plane missed its approach to the Martinsville/Blue Ridge Airport in Virginia. The plane crashed into Bull Mountain in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

The flight was en route from Concord Regional Airport to the Martinsville airport. Airport data showed that the plane was cleared for landing on runway 30, but it failed to descend at the correct point.

About seven miles after the plane missed the landing, the airplane began to climb, but air traffic controllers lost radar contact with the King Air soon after.

The NTSB Chimes in

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the pilots did not execute the correct maneuver after the missed approach. The pilots should have made a climbing right turn instead of a straight-ahead climb.

The NTSB noted that the flight crew failed to properly execute written instrument approach procedure, which includes procedures for missed approaches. This resulted in the controlled flight into the side of the mountain, the NTSB said.

Harmed in a Plane Crash?

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in a plane crash, please contact us promptly to discuss your legal rights, and the compensation you may be due with an experienced aviation attorney free of charge.

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