A fixed wing single engine plane crash that occurred over the weekend in the Morriston area has resulted in two fatalities.
According to the Chiefland Citizen, the victims of the crash have not been positively identified as of yet.
A witness with more than 50 years of experience as a pilot supposedly saw the aircraft leave the private air strip called “Wing Field” shortly after 4:30 p.m. The witness alleges that the aircraft spit and sputtered before crashing into a heavily wooded area.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are further investigating the incident.
According to the Levy County Sheriff’s Office, the cause of the crash remains unknown, but weather is not believed to have been a factor.
The most common airplane accidents tend to involve private planes, corporate jets and small chartered aircrafts. According to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board, in 2008, general aviation had a lethal accident rate per 100,000 flight hours that was almost five times greater than the rate of accidents for commercial carriers. In 2009, more than 20 million flight hours were flown by general aviation aircrafts with 1,474 total accidents reported. A pilot’s level of experience undoubtedly plays a role in these numbers, but there can be other factors that can cause unfortunate mishaps in small plane accidents. The aircraft’s design, poor maintenance, a defective part, air traffic control negligence, weather and other factors can be the ultimate cause of a plane crash.
Due to the overwhelming circumstances involving small plane accidents, it is vital to understand that the investigations surrounding these accidents can be just as complex as major airline disasters. The legal issues involved with small plane accidents resulting in serious injuries or wrongful death are extremely complicated, so it is important to seek the aide of an experienced attorney if you believe aviation negligence played a role in you or a loved one’s crash.
If someone close to you was harmed in a place crash caused by aviation negligence throughout the state of Florida, contact the Florida Wrongful Death and Aviation Negligence Attorneys at the Law Offices of Whittel & Melton, LLC online or dial our Levy County office at 352-264-7800 or reach us statewide and toll-free at 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).