• 13
  • December
    2011

In late November, two Boise, Idaho residents were injured when their small airplane crashed into a mountain ridge. Determining legal responsibility for a plane crash can be complicated, but someone injured in a small airplane accident may be able to obtain compensation in an aviation accident lawsuit.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the crash, which happened near Hailey, Idaho, on November 29, 2011. Local CNN and ABC news affiliates reported that the pilot took off from the Friedman Memorial Airport around 7:00 p.m. with one passenger.

When the pilot tried to activate the plane's auto-pilot system, the aircraft banked hard to the left. The pilot then could see a mountain in the airplane's landing lights, so he pulled up to slow the plane, which then crashed on the ridge of a mountain at Water Gulch, according to the Blaine County Sheriff's Office. Both the pilot and passenger survived the crash and were taken by helicopter to a hospital in Boise.

Determining Fault After Plane Accidents

When someone is injured in an Idaho aviation accident, a variety of people or companies may be at fault for the crash. Among other things, airplane crashes may be caused by:

  • Pilot error
  • Manufacturing error
  • Faulty equipment
  • Improper maintenance
  • Air traffic controller error

In accidents like the November Idaho airplane crash, if the auto-pilot system did not work properly, the system's designer, manufacturer or the person in charge of properly maintaining it could be found legally responsible for the crash and the injuries that resulted. If so, the injured people may be able to recover compensation for their medical bills and other expenses arising from the accident.

Source: KHQ, "Boise Residents Injured in Airplane Crash," Dec. 1, 2011.