Aviation Accident

September 16, 2014

2 Seriously Injured in Small Plane Crash in Downtown St. Pete

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Two people were seriously injured Monday morning after a small plane crash-landed at Vinoy Park in downtown St. Petersburg.

A Piper PA-28 single-engine plane on its way to Albert Whitted Airport crashed at the park around 10:30 a.m. The plane had taken off from Tallahassee and was carrying three men and a 17-year-old girl from Ireland, according to authorities.

The pilot, a 57-year-old man, and one of the passengers, a 52-year-old man, were taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg as trauma alerts. Both men were listed in serious but stable condition.

The two other occupants, a 48-year-old man, and the girl, suffered minor injuries.

Police believe that the engine failed as the pilot began his approach, and he was forced to attempt a landing in the park, which is about a mile away from the runway.

A yoga class and mom’s fitness class was taking place in the area when the plane crashed. A man listening to an audiobook saw the plane clip a tree and called 911.

According to the witness, the plane hit the tree, causing the left landing wheel to veer left. Once the wheel hit the ground the plane rolled on its side and slid before coming to a stop. One of the passengers opened the door and exited after the extreme landing.

This is the second small plane crash near Albert Whitted Airport in just over two weeks. On Aug. 31, a 70-year-old man was killed when the small plane he was piloting crashed into the water of the airport on the southeastern edge of downtown.

Airplane and aviation accidents are by their very nature quite devastating. In fact, most of these accidents result in painful injuries and even death. Although rare, airplane crashes do occur from time to time with large commercial airlines as well as small private and charter airplanes.

Aviation lawsuits involve complex legal issues – from determining the cause of these accidents to proving negligence and establishing what laws apply and which courts have jurisdiction.

March 21, 2014

Florida Injury Lawyer :: Pilot and Passenger Injured in Small Plane Crash near North Florida Lowe’s Store

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A pilot and his passenger are listed in serious condition after their single engine plane crashed into a back lot near a Lowe’s home improvement store in Palatka on Friday morning.

The plane, a Cessna 400, was attempting to touch down at the nearby Kay Larkin airstrip, but crashed to the ground just before 11 a.m., almost smashing into the store on Highway 19.

The pilot, a 73-year-old man, and his passenger, a 71-year-old man, were transported to a local hospital.

The pilot suffered debilitating injuries and the passenger is in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, according to reports.

The plane smashed into a set of wood pallets and slid into other items before coming to a shuddering halt. No one on the ground was harmed.

Authorities are unsure as to what caused the crash. They have cordoned off the scene for the National Transportation Safety Board to review the crash site.

Plane accidents are usually very serious, resulting in severe injuries and even death. Even just minor accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord trauma, broken bones and severe burns. Plane crashes can occur for a variety of reasons, but the most common include:

Pilot Error
Equipment Malfunction
Equipment Failure
Inclement Weather
Miscommunications by Air Traffic Controllers
Fuel Problems

Any of these errors could lead to an unfortunate crash. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured or killed in a private or commercial plane accident, a Florida Injury Attorney at Whittel & Melton can help.

November 22, 2011

Florida Aviation Plane Crash Wrongful Death Attorneys Whittel & Melton :: Two Die in Single Engine Plane Crash in Morriston, Levy County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

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.

March 21, 2011

Gainesville, Florida Aviation Negligence Lawyer :: Pilot Injured in Experimental Plane Crash at Gainesville Regional Airport

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Gainesville, Florida man was hospitalized Saturday morning with non-critical injuries after crashing his single-engine experimental plane.

The Gainesville pilot was returning for landing on the runway after taking his plane out when he crashed nose-first.

The man was alone in the plane and allegedly remained in the wreckage for some time, according to the Gainesville Sun.

Gainesville Fire Rescue cut the man out of what they identified as a biplane. He was airlifted to Shands at the University of Florida in stable condition.

The Federal Aviation Administration is supposedly investigating the crash.

The FAA registry shows the manufacturer of the plane to be Brown Narcisse and the model as a Christen Eagle II.

Air traffic is generally considered a safe means of transportation, but when something goes wrong it often results in fatal injuries. An aviation accident is any incident or series of occurrences that involve an aircraft and causes property damage, injures someone or causes wrongful death. A crash can occur while the plane is on the ground, ascending into flight or descending to the ground for landing.

Numerous airplane accidents involve an element of negligence. Most aviation negligence cases can be traced back to a Federal Aviation Administration violation dealing with licenses or certificates, flight rules, airworthiness of the aircraft and hazardous materials. There are many factors that can play a part in FAA violations such as equipment failure, human error and environmental conditions.