The doorbell camera shows a porch in a Miami residential area. The video has a clear shot down a street, beside the house. Cars drive by, and like a flash, the single-engine plane swoops into the frame and crashes into a car. Flames burst across the street as the plane skids off the screen. In a snap, the world changes for everyone involved.
The Miami private plane accident lawyers at Colson Hicks Eidson have decades of experience with aviation law. We examine every aspect of the case and thoroughly investigate the accident scene. We identify evidence and can hold negligent parties responsible by creating successful legal strategies.
The accident scene
The crash happened in March, leaving two in the plane died, and the two in the car were seriously injured. The small plane, named the Beechcraft Bonanza, took off from North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Florida, about 20 miles north of downtown Miami. It crashed shortly after in a Miami residential neighborhood.
“We heard a tremendous noise and we went out and everybody was on fire, everything was bad,” bystander Annabelle Fernandez reported to NBC Miami. “It got to the car. It was a mother with her kid, and we don’t know what happened to them. The fire rescue came, and they got them.”
It is still unknown why the plane fell from the sky, but the crash is currently being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Determining negligence
Why the crashes of commercial airlines recently set an all-time low, private-plane crashes stay relatively consistent. Privately-owned fixed-wing planes account for more than 60% of all general aviation accidents. The occurrence of severe injury and death also rises in privately-owned planes in comparison to commercial airline accidents.
There are many reasons a plane can crash, but the most often cited causes for private-plane accidents are:
- Pilot error
- Faulty equipment
- Violations of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
Every aviation accident is thoroughly investigated by the NTSB. After investigations, accident reports are published, and improvements to aviation safety are often identified.
The liable parties for private-plane crashes can be complicated, but usually, the responsible entities boil down to three parties, including:
- Aircraft owner/operator
- Aircraft manufacturer/aircraft defects
- Aircraft owner/operator and manufacturer combined
Contacting a private-plane attorney.
Plane passengers can file a personal injury claim after an accident, but in situations like these where fatalities occur and families are devastated, the deceased’s close relatives (child, spouse, parent, or sibling) may be able to file a wrongful death claim. You should first consult an experienced aviation attorney who knows the system and achieves the best results for you.
If you were seriously injured, or if a loved one was lost in a plane crash, you should reach out to the Miami private-plane attorneys at Colson Hicks Eidson to determine the causes of the accident and identify the liable parties for your injuries and damages. Contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or by calling us at 305-476-7400.
