Aviation accidents occur in a variety of different situations with different kinds of aircraft. The most common aviation accidents are those involving commercial airlines, but many disasters also occur with private airplanes, military aircraft,commercial and private helicopters. The laws and regulations governing plane crashes are based on a variety of factors such as the type of aircraft, the nature of passengers, and the purpose of the flight.
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Some of the different types of planes and aircrafts involved in crashes include:
- Commercial Aircraft
- Private Airplanes
- Private Helicopter Operations
- Offshore Helicopter Operations
- Sightseeing Helicopter Operations
- Helilogging
- Helicopter Herding
- Air Ambulance / Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
- Military Attack Helicopters
- Military Cargo Helicopters
General Aviation Accidents (Private planes)
Most air crashes involve general aviation flights, such as privately owned and operated aircraft accidents resulting from a range of causes. In many of these cases, the cause is shown to be pilot negligence, a poorly designed aircraft, a defective part, or faulty maintenance that caused the plane or its systems to fail. Click Here to read more about the causes of general aviation crashes.
Commercial Air Carriers
Commercial air carriers accounted for over 600 fatalities occurring in aviation accidents in 2001. A similar number of fatalities occurred in accidents involving private planes and helicopters. Commercial airline accidents are by far the most complicated to deal with due to the size and complexity of the jets, the large number of passengers that fit on commercial airplanes, the media involvement, and the immediate scramble for blame that occurs following a crash. Click Here to read more about what can cause a commercial airplane disaster.
Charter Flights and Helicopters
Charter aircraft on unscheduled flights include small planes, jets or helicopters. When a crash occurs, the operator of the charter company is frequently the liable party.
Military Plane Crash Cases
Each year dozens of men and woman in the military are killed in plane and helicopter crashes. Many of these crashes could have been prevented. Often the crash is the result of an old aircraft that was not fit for service, or a new aircraft with a design defect. In other cases there are gross lapses of safety procedures or pilots with inadequate training.
Military Service Personnel (Active Duty, Reservists, and National Guard) are severely restricted in taking legal action against the government. However, many lawsuits are brought against the aircraft manufacturers. To bring a lawsuit against a manufacturer, the person bringing the suit must prove that the aircraft which crashed was “unreasonably dangerous” and defective in design, manufacture, or that the maker failed to warn of an unsafe condition. Even in these circumstances manufacturers may be protected under the Government Contractor’s Defense. This defense protects makers from being liable for design defects in military equipment when the government approved reasonably precise specifications for the design of the equipment. Click here to read more about the laws involved when a military plane crashes.
Resources for Plane Crash Victims and their Families
If you have questions about a loved one’s death or injury during a plane crash, an experienced plane crash attorney can help. Search our directory to find an attorney near you.
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