Aviation Accidents

Morrow & Sheppard LLP is privileged to represent those who have been involved in aviation accidents, as well as their families. If you have been involved in an aircraft accident in Texas, you need to seek the assistance of a qualified Houston airplane crash lawyer. He or she will be able to provide you with a better understanding of your case and the potential damages available to you.

National Transportation Safety Board

Civil aviation accidents in the United States are investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB was founded in 1926, and since 1967, it has investigated accidents not just in aviation, but also those involving highways, marine venues, pipelines, railroads, and transportation of hazardous materials.

The NTSB has investigated more than 132,000 aviation accidents, and issued over 13,000 safety recommendations to more than 2,500 recipients.

The Houston accident lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard LLP have assisted common carrier airlines in NTSB investigations. As a result, they bring unique insight and experience that can help if you or a loved one is involved in an airplane or helicopter crash.

According to the Aircraft Crashes Record Office, more than 200 people have died in aviation accidents every year since 2000, not including helicopter crashes.

Causes of Plane Crashes

The causes of plane crashes are similar to the causes of helicopter crashes, and include:

1. Pilot Error
2. Mechanical Failure
3. Bad Weather
4. Terrorism
5. Other Human Error

Helicopters are arguably the least reliable and most dangerous form of air travel.

This is particularly problematic in the Gulf of Mexico, where thousands of offshore workers in the oil and gas industry rely on helicopters to transport them to and from offshore rigs and platforms.

In fact, a 2011 study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy found that helicopters servicing the drilling platforms and vessels in the Gulf of Mexico crash more than six times per year, killing an average of five people. From 1983 to 2009, 178 helicopter crashes resulted in 139 deaths, including the deaths of 41 pilots and 3 co-pilots. The most common cause was mechanical failure (68 deaths). Pilot error, including the failure to properly plan and execute flight plans, was another primary cause.

Causes of Helicopter Crashes

The most common causes of helicopter crashes are:

1. Pilot error. This includes the failure to operate aircraft in accordance with operational limitations, flying in bad weather or unsafe environmental conditions, and inadequate training.
2. Poor maintenance. This issue is particularly prevalent in the Gulf of Mexico, where saltwater can accelerate deterioration of mechanical and electrical systems. Poor maintenance can involve the failure to do the following: perform proper routine maintenance, conduct safety audits, properly track repairs and maintenance in logbooks, conduct proper preflight inspections, identify and timely resolve maintenance issues, and properly perform needed repairs.
3. Mechanical failure or malfunction. This can include faulty design, testing, manufacture, warnings, instructions, quality control, and installation.
4. Electrical malfunction. A helicopter’s electrical systems can malfunction for a variety of reasons, including product defects, short circuits, and corrosion.