The Nevada Appeal reports that a girl who was seriously injured in a Nevada plane accident at the Truckee Tahoe Airport has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the two pilots of the aircraft. The lawsuit alleges the two pilots acted negligently by filling the Cessna P206B airplane with a surplus of fuel before taking off.
The aviation accident occurred on September 7, 2009. The girl, who was 14 at the time, was accompanying a family bound for San Jose, California. The husband and wife were piloting the plane when it crashed. As a result of the plane accident, the girl broke her back in six places, and sustained other injuries, including bruised lungs, four cracked ribs, a brain hemorrhage, a concussion, and a massive contusion to her chest. According to her attorney, she still suffers from ongoing injuries related to the airplane crash.
According to the lawsuit, the accident was the result of the two pilots’ negligence. The injured girl claims they loaded the aircraft with an excessive amount of fuel because it was cheaper at the Truckee Tahoe airport than in San Jose, and thus made the plane weigh too much for takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report of the crash recorded the airplane’s weight at about 3,396 pounds. The maximum weight for the Cessna P206B plane is 3,600 pounds. However, the lawsuit claims that the pilots disregarded the high-density altitude of the Truckee Tahoe Airport, and failed to load the plane properly in relation to atmospheric conditions to guarantee the plane would have adequate climbing performance.
In response to the lawsuit, the pilots state that preflight preparations were conducted within the normal parameters for safety and that they made appropriate modifications to the plane to operate properly in Truckee’s weather conditions. Also, they report the airplane was equipped with a Short Takeoff and Landing kit (STOL) that allowed the aircraft to fly at a lower speed than an unmodified, standard aircraft.
It is the responsibility of all pilots to ensure their passengers’ safety when onboard an aircraft. Additionally, if a pilot makes a modification to a plane or its cargo, during preflight preparations or at another time, and these modifications cause the aircraft to crash, the pilot can be held legally responsible for any injuries or fatalities.
If you have been injured in a small airplane accident that was caused by a pilot’s negligence, the plane crash attorneys at Panish Shea & Boyle LLP can provide the legal assistance you need. Our lawyers have an unmatched record of success in airplane accident litigation and understand the complex laws that surround aviation crashes. Call our firm today at 1-877-800-1700 to schedule a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help you.
