Personal Injury Litigation Blog

The only two people aboard a Royal Air cargo jet, tail number N720RA, have been killed in a Des Plaines plane crash on January 5, 2010. According to a Chicago Breaking News Center article, the tragic collision took place south of the Chicago Executive Airport in northwest suburban Wheeling. The bodies of the pilot and co-pilot of the Learjet were thought to be found amongst the debris, but they have yet to be identified. The plane is believed to have been empty and on its way to pick up cargo.

Apparently, the plane was cleared to land along runway 34 and was making a normal approach when it went down. The aircraft had departed from the Detroit area. The director of central services for Oakland County, Michigan stated that according to Royal Air, both men aboard the plane were experienced pilots. He said, “I understand they were both commercially rated, which means they were professional pilots, rated in that type of airplane and qualified to take that kind of flight.”

Although the cause of this fatal plane crash was not mentioned at the time the article was published, the senior safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board stated, “We will look at the systems, the structure, the engine.” The model 35A plane was manufactured by Gates Learjet Corp. and is a fixed-wing, two-engine craft with seating for 8 passengers and 2 crew members. It is also widely used by cargo companies after the passenger seats are removed. Considered to be one of the safest planes in the sky, a detailed investigation will establish whether a plane component failed, or if pilot error or poor maintenance contributed to the accident.

Family members of aviation wrongful death victims may be able to seek compensation for damages associated with the loss of a loved one. At Panish, Shea & Boyle, our aviation disaster attorneys have a successful track record of holding negligent parties legally responsible for causing wrongful death and catastrophic injury. To learn more about Panish, Shea, & Boyle’s many accomplishments in aviation and wrongful death litigation, please visit www.aviation-disaster-lawyers.com or call 1-800-591-8116 for a free consultation of your plane accident case.

Source:http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/01/plane-reported-down-in-forest-preserve-near-wheeling-airport.html

More than 40 people have been injured in an American Airlines airplane crash.  Flight #331 from Miami skidded across a runway in Jamaica on the night of December 22, 2009. With 148 passengers and a crew of 6 onboard, the Boeing 737-800 airplane experienced heavy turbulence throughout the flight, and then uncontrollably slid along the tarmac in the heavy rain while landing. According to a report, U.S. investigators will determine whether or not the plane should have been landing in such inclement weather, even if other planes had landed safely in the downpour.

Approximately 44 people were transported to hospitals complaining of injuries like back pains and broken bones while four were considered seriously injured. Although two of the accident victims were admitted to the hospital, American Airlines said that nobody endured life-threatening injuries. In relaying what happened aboard the plane, one passenger stated, “All of a sudden, when it hit the ground, the plane was kind of bouncing…someone said that plane was skidding and there was panic.” Apparently, the aircraft came to a halt along a grassy embankment just 10 to 15 feet from the Caribbean.

The result of the skidded impact of the landing caused the left landing gear to crush and the fuselage to crack open in two “significant” spots, separating both engines from the plane. An airline spokesman said that as a safety measure, the engines are designed to separate from the wings during an accident.

The devastating consequences of a crash landing can be catastrophic and leave innocent passengers with serious injuries that may take months, if not years, to fully recover from. In the most tragic of aviation disasters and crash landings, some passengers may be killed, leaving their families to mourn and cope with the loss of a loved one in addition to financial hardship.

The skilled aviation disaster attorneys at Panish, Shea & Boyle have the experience, knowledge and resources to successfully navigate the complicated world of aviation law. Our attorneys have successfully represented clients injured in accidents that were the result of  mechanical failure due to the use of defective or improperly maintained airline equipment as well as accidents that were the result of errors made by pilots or aviation staff. Our track record of success in aviation accident litigation is well established and can be viewed on our website. If you have been injured in a plane accident or crash landing, contact Panish, Shea & Boyle for a case consultation or visit our aviation accident website for more information on how the trial attorneys at Panish, Shea & Boyle can help you.

Aviation Accident Website: http://www.aviation-disaster-lawyers.com/.

According to a recent report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the helicopter wreckage from the August 8, 2009 mid-air crash that took the lives of nine people was recently found and excavated from the Hudson River.  Recovery teams have also located the plane involved in the helicopter crash, and are working towards recovering the aircraft from the murky waters of the Hudson.  According to Debbie Hersman, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), “…hopeful they’ll be able to pull up” the plane soon.

The wreckage of a helicopter is lifted by crane from the Hudson River. (Seth Wenig - AP)

The small plane was carrying only two passengers in addition to the pilot, while the helicopter was carrying a total of six people, pilot included.  All but two of the bodies have been recovered.  Both pilots were experienced, and pre-existing medical conditions that may have contributed towards causing the crash were not known to afflict either.  According to the NTSB, “the investigation into the crash is expected to take months.”

Though there has not yet been official word as to the cause of the aviation accident, it was reported by witnesses that the plane clipped the helicopter with its wing, thus causing the pilots of both aircraft to lose control.  It has been widely criticized that the airspace over the Hudson River is not monitored well enough, and that the probability of accidents occurring is relatively high as a result.  Furthermore, according to the NTSB, federal oversight of helicopter tours is not rigorous enough, and it can therefore be speculated that this lax regulatory watch may have contributed to causing the accident as well.

The attorneys at Panish, Shea & Boyle are monitoring new developments regarding this air disaster as they unfold. Our skilled Los Angeles aviation disaster attorneys have experience handling cases involving charter plane accidents, private plane accidents, commercial airlines and helicopters. We have taken leadership roles in high profile aviation disaster cases and have the resources and knowledge to handle yours. For more information, please contact the Los Angeles personal injury lawyers at Panish, Shea & Boyle at 1-866-992-1700.

MSNBC reports in an article that the Montana charter plane crash on Sunday killing all 14 passengers was built to hold just ten people. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) at first said they thought the plane could hold eleven people. The plane left Oroville, CA headed for Bozeman, MO when the pilot altered its course to Butte without reporting to traffic controllers about any mechanical issues.

According to the story, Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the NTSB said that investigators have yet to discover if the plane was over its weight limit; however, the public has no reason to conclude that overloading was the reason for Sunday’s fatal aviation disaster.

Seven of the fourteen victims in this tragic plane accident were children under the age of ten. Passengers were going to a family vacation of skiing at a renowned Yellowstone Club.

“We were going on a vacation with all the grandkids,” said Irving M. “Bud” Feldkamp, who lost two daughters and their families in the accident. “They were all excited about skiing.”

Feldkamp, his wife, and another daughter had driven to Montana for the vacation. He leased the airplane that crashed into the Butte, Montana cemetery.

It is terrible what the victims of this plane accident had to endure and our sincere regards go out family and friends during this very difficult time. No matter what investigators determine the cause of the plane accident to be, these families not only face emotional struggles to cope with, but may also suffer financially as well. When a wrongful death occurs, you need someone who can effectively investigate the private plane crash and aggressively pursue your interests in court.

If you have been injured in a private plane accident or if someone you care about has been killed due to an aviation disaster in California, it is in your best interest to contact a skilled California aviation disaster attorney as soon as possible. The law firm of Panish, Shea & Boyle is well equipped with experienced lawyers knowledgeable in the complex areas of aviation law and have worked on plane accidents around the world involving helicopter crashes, charter plane crashes, and private plane crashes. Call us today for an evaluation of your case.

The first deadly commercial plane crash since 2006 occurred last night, Thursday, January 12, 2009, when a commuter plane fell into an eastern Buffalo suburban home, according to an Associated Press news story. The fiery crash killed 49 aboard and one person in the house.  Two others were also in the home but survived with minor injuries.

The crew of the Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J., became aware of significant ice buildup on the wings and windshield right before the plane began pitching and rolling violently, leading to its flaming crash. Officials have stated that the cause of this aviation disaster has not been determined just yet; however, ice on a plane’s wings has been responsible for many major air catastrophes in the past.

Official reports state that the plane was new and had a clean safety record. The plane went through a “severe pitch and roll” experience after positioning its flaps for landing, said Steve Chealander, spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board.

Doug Hartmayer, a spokesman for Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which runs the airport, said: “The plane simply dropped off the radar screen.”

One witness who drove to the site said, “All we were seeing was 50- to 100-foot flames and a pile of rubble on the ground. It looked like the house just got destroyed the instant it got hit.”

The report confirmed a 9/11 widow was on board the plane.  She was heading to Buffalo for a celebration of what would have been her husband’s 58th birthday.

Continental Airlines said relatives and friends of those on Flight 3407 can call a special family assistance number, 1-800-621-3263 for information.

The attorneys at Panish, Shea & Boyle are highly accomplished in complex aviation disaster cases.  Our attorneys have taken leadership roles in many high-profile plane crash cases. We represent clients throughout the U.S. and the world and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Please contact us for more information.