The crash of a large commercial jet or airliner often makes international headlines. Stories of lost aircrafts often appear on the evening news all across Montana for months or even years after the accidents occur, especially when the airplanes are not located or recovered. However, small planes and other aircrafts are involved in crashes and collisions regularly, ranging from minor occurrences to deadly events.
Even though airplane accidents are relatively uncommon, the Federal Aviation Administration has identified some of the main causes of plane crashes in the United States. Not surprisingly, loss of control of an aircraft is one of the most common reasons that planes crash. Loss of control of an aircraft may be due to the negligence of the individual operating the vehicle.
Flying too low and system failures also lead to some airplane crashes. Collisions with other aircrafts also make the list of common reasons that aircrafts suffer accidents. In the United States, weather events and fuel issues also lead to aircraft accidents and crashes.
The cause of an airplane crash may be preventable, and in those cases when the operator of the plane fails to take steps to avoid an accident, collision or crash, that person may be held legally responsible for the losses associated with the aviation incident. Aircraft owners may also be held responsible for crashes and accidents if their failure to maintain their planes led to injuries and losses by accident victims.
People who are harmed in an aircraft accident may have rights to compensation for damages. The personal injuries that arise from these types of accidents are often compensable under negligence theories of law. Even though airplane accidents are not as common as car crashes, they are damaging events that can leave victims with insurmountable losses. Those losses can sometimes be remedied through litigation in the civil courts.