A charter flight consists of a privately booked flight organized by an individual or group of individuals through a business or tour company. Unfortunately, in the event of an accident, litigating charter plane crashes can be very complex.
Representing Charter Plane Crash Victims
Charter flights are usually organized by businesses that are not subject to the same regulations as most commercial carriers. Many are extremely important to passenger and aircraft safety and include minimum qualified hours for pilots, training, and maintenance practices. They also operate under less strict regulations surrounding private pilots and aircraft.
For this reason, it is necessary to possess the proper legal representation to maximize compensation for the victims and hold all responsible parties accountable. The loosely regulated nature of these businesses requires in-depth investigations into charter companies’ records, written policies, and practices to identify the true causes of an accident.
What are the common causes of a charter plane crash?
One of the major contributors to charter plane crashes involves a lack of regulation. The FAA does not regulate pilots of charter planes to the same extent as commercial airline pilots. They do not undergo the regular inspections of their commercial airline counterparts and do not always possess the certification standards that commercial airlines require. Most charter plane pilots work extensive hours and are left to decide when it is safe to land when flying. Many charter plane crashes result from a pilot failing to conduct necessary safety procedures and making poor judgment calls due to exhaustion from long work hours. In fact, investigators have concluded that an astonishing 88 percent of these accidents result from pilot error.
Since the beginning of the century, charter and private plane crashes have experienced five times more fatal accidents than their commercial counterparts. The number of charter and private plane accidents not only constitutes a higher percentage when compared to commercial airlines but are also vastly underrepresented, as the Federal Aviation Administration does not accurately record data on certain charter flights.
Case Studies: Charter Plane Crash Victims Represented by Wilshire Law Firm
Since charter companies only seek to protect their interest after an accident, it is fundamental to be represented by aviation experts with an established track record of dedication to the rights and interests of charter plane crash victims. Here are a few notable cases where our firm has fought to help our clients get the justice they deserved:
Classic Helicopter Corp. Charter Helicopter Crash: In August of 2007, a chartered helicopter encountered a failure on the tail blade of a Robinson R44 II helicopter during a visit to a logging site in Washington State. Shortly after the helicopter began experiencing operational issues, the pilot was forced to perform an emergency landing that resulted in a low force impact crash. Unfortunately, a fire ensued after killing all four people aboard and causing a 485-acre forest fire.
Attorneys from our firm sued the Robinson Helicopter Company in Seattle on behalf of the surviving widow and two minor children, arguing that a malfunction in the main rotor drive shift caused a fracture and puncture in the unreinforced fuel tanks, which cause the fire after the crash. Our attorneys successfully settled the case right before trial for a confidential amount.
Kemper Aviation Charter Plane Crash: On March 13, 2008,three university studentswere killed while studying migratory birds. Their charter plane (operated by Kemper Aviation) suffered a mechanical malfunction leading the aircraft to stall and crash. The pilot, who was the co-owner of Kemper Aviation, also died in the crash. Before this tragedy, Kemper Aviation had been involved in three other deadly accidents six months prior, in which maintenance negligence also caused the planes to crash.
In this case, a National Safety Travel Board investigation found that an inoperative stall warning horn had been activated on the plane twice before the crash. The maintenance team in charge of the aircraft had previously dismissed the warning, claiming the horn to be operative after conducting two inspections. However, when authorities completed their investigation, they claimed that the stall warning horn was inoperative when the charter plane crashed.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
At Wilshire Law Firm, you will find the most talented and experienced aviation litigators to provide you with satisfactory results.
If you have been the victim of a charter plane crash, do not hesitate to contact us immediately. Our legal team and globally-renowned aviation attorneys have substantial experience in litigating all types of aviation plane crashes.
For a free initial consultation contact us online or at 888-276-7421.