Helicopter crash kills two highly skilled pilots

As one of the safest mode of air transportation, helicopters are often used for military trainings and missions. It is convenient to use as it provides lift without needing to move forward or using runways.

However, even great machines such as helicopters fail. An AH-1W attack helicopter known as “Super Cobra” crashed at east of San Diego. The crash killed two top pilots of 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit who were at their pre-deployment training exercise.

The crash ignited a brush fire but no other structures were harmed. Rescuers were told to stay away from the crash site due to unexploded ammunitions. Until a go signal from the Marine's explosive-ordnance-disposal unit, no ground crew could enter.

The cause of the crash was still undetermined. Investigators were trying to determine if the pilots made distress calls. As the deceased pilots were highly skilled, investigators were puzzled as to the cause of the crash. In fact, the pilots were trained to support ground troops while the helicopter was built to fight and destroy the enemy.

Helicopter crash, though not frequent, is unavoidable. Oftentimes, after extensive investigation, helicopter pilot is determined to be at fault. In other cases, defective helicopter parts or poor maintenance may also be the cause. In either case, an aviation crash case may be pursued against the negligent pilot or manufacturing company.

In aviation accidents, fault must be established. As it involved complex legal theories and remedies, an aviation accident lawyer is often necessary to initiate a plaintiff’s case or settlement.

Alarming Air crash

Plane crashes often leaves disastrous consequences.

In a crash happened in the western part of Catalina Island, three people died on such fatal incident. The plane was headed to John Wayne Airport but it never reached it.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that pilot Mark Hogland had a private license and approval to fly on a bad weather but never had the license to conduct charter flights like this in particular.

Oftentimes, plane crashes are due to pilot errors. However, in this accident different factors contributed to the crash.

Catalina Island is mountainous and bordered by steep cliffs. It has no air traffic controllers.

The geographic conditions, lack of necessary equipment and Hogland’s lack of license to conduct charter flights contributed to this horrific crash.

Reportedly, a total of twenty people already died in eight plane crashes coming in or out of what is dubbed as an “Airport in the Sky”.

This is an alarming statistics. I hope the authorities would make the necessary actions.

Plane Crashing through a Neighborhood

Compared to land and accidents, air accidents register the least incidents. However, when it happens, the horror, injuries and suffering are the same if not far more than other accidents in land or water.

The horror and devastation I am trying to relay was made into life by an incident that happened on December 8, 2008.

The plane accident took place in the neighborhood of University City just west of the naval base killing three people and creating destruction and ruins.

The pilot who had timely ejected from the craft suffered minor injuries.

One may ask why the pilot chooses to fly over a populated area such as University City when he could have chosen to crash land over a body of water or an empty lot. Well, there he must have been ill-advised to be anywhere near the area.

Clearly, at some point, negligence existed. An engine trouble is common but a double engine failure is unlikely to happen. Moreover, a proper maintenance check would have prevented such failure.

If negligence truly existed then someone has to pay. Innocent people died and a father was left without a family.

Plane Accidents and Realities

Airplane, described by many as the fastest, convenient and relatively the safest means of transportation, ever had. To that, I can agree, qualifiedly.

Why qualified or with reservation?

Though, plane has now become part of mass transport, there are reported incidents (in fact many) across all jurisdictions of accident involvement with this particular kind of conveyance. One thing can describe from all these plane accidents, that is, “one incident can cause a large number of fatalities”. That is to show how grave its impact whenever plane is involved in air mishaps.

Like in the recent event that happened in Ventura County, specifically in a Camarillo industrial park, reported by CBS2 (Thursday, 10 Jul 2008) with the heading, “Small plane flips in Ventura County”. The report related that a banner-towing plane has landed upside down in a Camarillo field during an emergency landing.

Luckily, the pilot did not suffer any serious injuries. Still lucky enough, that the plane has not conveyed passengers while taking its course.

Worthy to note then, the event was just the third mishap involving a small airplane in Ventura County in the past eight days.

Terrified! News like this one really irked me!

I express concern with this, as I am an air traveler myself. Traveling through plane medium really is quite a risk, as potentially we can be dead at an instant with no choice to live whenever grave trouble in voyage happened.

With these facts and realities about planes, we air travelers cannot do anything but hope that no complications arise when we take our flight.

For the airline companies, this I say, that they should properly maintain their air conveyances to the maximum level to avoid air troubles while in transit. Or else, when plane accident happens, they can be held liable for the deaths or any injuries to passengers as well as to the damages and loss of its cargoes.

Recovering from a Plane Accident Injury

No one wishes to get involved in aviation accident of any sort but in case it happens, it is good to know what to do or at least be informed about of it.

Plane accidents rarely happen but when they occur, they often end up with disastrous results. According to government statistics, 16,033 civil aviation wrecks were reported in the country in 2006, which resulted in about 316 deaths to aircraft passengers. This statistics include only commercial and private planes involved in crashes and minor mishaps.

“The Truth about Airplane Accidents”, posted on November 2007, can help you with some information regarding plane accidents. It identified some of the causes of the accidents which are listed down as follows:

• Maintenance neglect
• Pilot error
• Defective runway
• Violations of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and rules
• Mechanical defects such as engine failure from a defective aircraft component
• Aircraft design and structural defects
• FAA Air Traffic Controllers fault

To get recovery from injuries in plane accidents, it is necessary to get the services of an expert aviation lawyer. Why is it necessary? Because accident cases involving airplanes and other aircrafts such as helicopters and light planes are governed by several laws. Hence, pursuing a claim in most plane accidents would require knowledge of the following:

• Liable parties in the accident
• Violations made against aviation law and FAA regulations
• Available compensation for the type of injuries sustained by victim
• Methods of settlement

What can plane accident lawyers do? In most cases, a lawyer will first look into the FAA investigative report to have initial information about the accident. He will also try to look into the evidences secured from the site or the aircraft.

If the victim decides to file a claim suit, his lawyer has a retinue of expert witnesses who will evaluate the causes of the accident and help determine the fault and liability among the aircraft owners, manufacturers as well as suppliers, engineers and the pilots themselves.

Plane accident claims are often complex. To be enable to obtain a successful claim from aircraft accidents, a victim will truly need a lawyer who has the skills and experience in cases of similar nature.

“Plane Crash in Hollywood (Maryland) Not For Show”

The news article “Plane Crash in Hollywood, Maryland Was Caused by Mechanical Problems”, posted August 16, was about the plane crash accident in ollywood, Maryland where two people were injured. However, the pilot’s mother, one of the two passengers, did not survive the accident.

According to the article, the Piper PA 22-160 had just taken off the airfield when it encountered problems and had to make an emergency landing. During the landing, the plane crashed and was engulfed in flames. All three injured passengers, including the pilot, were taken to the hospital.

Fortunately, the plane did not hit any building and sadly, the lone fatality in the accident was the pilot’s mother. The pilot said his plane has serious mechanical problems.

Aviation accident lawyers handle cases like this and other related accidents involving large carriers and airlines, helicopters, private jets, corporate planes, chartered flights, and pleasure aircrafts.

Plane accident lawyers pointed out that the common causes of airplane crashes are:

• Faulty equipment
• Mechanical failures
• Pilot error
• Third party error and negligence
• Federal aviation rule violations
• Negligence by air traffic controllers

In accident cases involving aircraft, the airline company, the pilot, the manufacturer of the plane, maintenance operators, plane designers and the federal government may be held liable for them.

Aviation accidents often result in serious injuries and death hence if you are the victim’s kin of a plane crash, you can file a personal injury claim or a wrongful death claim against persons or entities responsible for the death of your loved one.