Plane Crashes Short of Airport Runway
A plane crash in Butte County near Paradise on February 9 caused minor injuries to the pilot when the aircraft went down near the airport. The accident happened around 9:45 a.m. at Paradise Skypark airport. According to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration, the airplane came down near the airport’s runway while attempting a landing.
The light plane was identified as a Mooney M20J, which is a single-engine aircraft. The wings, front end and propeller of the plane were damaged in the crash. The accident is under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board, who are charged with investigating all airplane crashes.
Landings and Takeoffs Cause a High Number of Plane Crashes
Crashing is the one thing all pilots want to avoid. However, a crash occurs usually because of a series of small errors that lead to an accident. According to AVWeb, a news resource for the aviation industry, nearly half of all airplane accidents involve either landing or taking off. Crosswinds, undershoots, overshoots and similar problems lead to those crashes. Losing control at the runway accounts for about 15 percent of all plane crashes, which is where many light aircraft go into a stall.
Mechanical Problems Often Lead to a Plane Crash
Mechanical problems are one of the major causes of light plane crashes. Regulations and laws that apply to commercial planes often don’t come into play with lighter, smaller aircraft. Light planes, on the other hand, are flown based only on the experience and judgment of the pilot.
Because small aircraft often only have one engine, a crash is likely if something goes wrong. In addition, smaller planes don’t have the stringent maintenance schedules that are seen in commercial aircraft. Engine failure accounts for about 13 percent of all plane crashes. If the cause is a defective instrument or part, a product liability lawsuit can be filed against the manufacturer or others.
Improper Maintenance of the Aircraft
While some pilots perform maintenance on their airplanes themselves, others trust mechanics to handle any problem and carry out those duties. Improperly maintaining the plane can cause an accident, and the person in charge of the plane’s maintenance can be held liable for injuries or fatalities resulting from the crash.
Analyzing a Plane Crash
In cooperation with federal and state authorities, our legal and investigative teams investigate plane crashes. It is only with evidence that individuals injured or whose loved ones have died can recover damages. Investigations can include the following:
- A crash study is conducted by the federal government to determine the cause of the accident and find out if the plane had any defects. Those documents will be reviewed by our investigators, which provide good evidence to recover compensation by the injured client.
- In order to determine whether an error by the pilot caused the crash, the air traffic control log is examined.
- To ensure that the plane was in good working condition, inspectors checked repair and maintenance records.
- The plane’s data and recordings on cell phones are examined to see if they can shed any light on the cause of the plane crash.
- In addition to checking the pilot’s background, he or she is also checked for what certifications they hold and the number of flight hours they have amassed.
- Investigators analyze flight data from the black box or flight log.
Sacramento Airplane Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento airplane accident lawyer. When negligence by another person or other entity caused your injury, you may want to find out about placing a claim to recover compensation. You are welcome to call us for free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 or contact us online.
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Photo attribution: Image by Lars_Nissen from Pixabay
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