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Aviation Accidents
Aviation accidents are no accident. To put it another way, planes do not fall out of the sky unless there has been negligence or a defect in the aircraft. Commercial aircraft have the latest technology to assist in the investigation of why an event occurred. However, that does not relieve the family of the injured victim of the duty to prove negligence or a defect in the aircraft.
Understanding just why a tragedy occurred requires early investigation on the part of the attorney and an understanding of aviation technology. Your attorney must also be able to investigate the safety history of the particular aircraft. Our attorneys can readily access the history of every commercial air event. Their understanding of the workings of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) allow us learn what happened, why it happened and to maximize recoveries for our clients.
Commercial jet crashes understandably get a great deal of media attention. They also get the attention of attorneys seeking to represent the families of victims. The fees that these attorneys charge can vary just as their level of expertise varies. Federal law limits when an attorney may contact family members but it does not limit a family member from reaching out to an attorney.
Attorneys at Specter Specter Evans & Manogue, P.C. have successfully represented victims of commercial aviation disasters as well as those in private and military aircraft and we can help you.
USAir Flight 427
Howard Specter of Specter Specter Evans & Manogue, P.C. served as Chair of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the litigation following the tragic crash of USAir Flight 427 on September 8, 1994, killing everyone on board.
USAir Flight 427 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Chicago-O’Hare International Airport to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Boeing 737 was maneuvering to land at Pittsburgh International Airport, when the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and impacted terrain near Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, about 6 miles northwest of the destination airport. All 132 people on board were killed, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and fire.
After the longest investigation in aviation history (more than four and a half years) [Link to Accident Investigation Docket http://www.ntsb.gov/events/usair427/items.htm], the concluding statement said:
The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the USAir Flight 427 accident was a loss of control of the airplane resulting from the movement of the rudder surface to its blowdown limit. The rudder surface most likely deflected in a direction opposite to that commanded by the pilots as a result of a jam of the main rudder power control unit servo valve secondary slide to the servo valve housing offset from its neutral position and overtravel of the primary slide.
The NTSB concluded that similar rudder problems caused the previously mysterious March 1991 crash of United Airlines 535 and the June 1996 incident involving Eastwind Airlines Flight 517, both involving Boeing 737s. As a result of the investigation of the crash of USAirways Flight 427, pilots were warned of and trained how to deal with insufficient aileron authority at an airspeed at or less than 190 knots (formerly the usual approach speed for a B737). Four additional channels of information (pilot rudder pedal commands) were incorporated into flight data recorders, while Boeing redesigned the rudder system on 737s and retrofitted existing craft until the affected systems could be replaced.
Safety recommendations concerning these issues were addressed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Also, as a result of this accident, the Safety Board issued a total of 22 safety recommendations to the FAA on October 18, 1996, and February 20, 1997, regarding operation of the 737 rudder system and unusual attitude recovery procedures. In addition, as a result of this accident and the United Airlines flight 585 accident (involving a 737-291) on March 3, 1991, the Safety Board issued three recommendations (one of which was designated “urgent”) to the FAA on February 22, 1995, regarding the need to increase the number of FDR parameters.
The crash of USAir Flight 427 also changed the way airlines and governments deal with families. Families of the victims of USAir Flight 427 formed a nonprofit group, The National Air Disaster Alliance, which was instrumental in leading President Bill Clinton to issue an Executive Order in 1996. Congress passed the Disaster Family Assistance Act later that year. The National Air Disaster Alliance continues to help other victims of air crashes and lobbies for safety changes.
“I can’t think of one accident that had more impact on the NTSB, on the aviation industry, and more importantly, on how families of all disasters are treated worldwide than the Pittsburgh accident,” said Jim Hall, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board during the Flight 427 investigation.
If you have questions about an aviation accident, you should contact us. We will discuss with you the aviation event as we know it and explain how we will handle your case, all without obligation to use our services. All information will remain confidential.