10 Common Causes of Airplane Accident

Air travel is one of the fastest means of communication and its popularity is increasing by the day. What was once a mode of commute only for the rich has now become a part and parcel of the lives of the common man. Although air travel has become safer than before with the implementation of modern communication systems, strict pilot and crew rules, satellite technology, and passenger awareness drives. That said, it is impossible to guarantee accident-free air travel. Even after all the modernization, accidents can happen because of the following reasons:

From pilots to mechanics to air traffic controllers, a lot of people are involved in the operation and maintenance of an airplane. A fault, even if minor, of any of these people involved can result in an accident. It could be poor training or misjudgment of a pilot or carelessness of a mechanic.

A malfunction of any of the components of an airplane can cause accidents. Statistics show that nearly 20% of airplane crashes happen because of equipment failure. This could be because of a fault in manufacturing or because of poor maintenance by the airplane operator.

Airplanes become prone to accidents as the weather worsens. Accidents happen frequently in turbulent weather conditions like heavy snow, fog, or rainstorms. This is because of high winds, visibility issues, skidding, etc. that make maneuvers and landing and take-offs difficult.

Many-a-time, accidents happen because pilots lose control of the airplane. While equipment malfunctions and adverse weather can be the cause, there can be other reasons too. Unexpected events are a common reason why pilots lose control. Reduced margin of safety, system anomalies, poor condition of aircraft, etc. can be culprits too.

Another common cause of airplane accidents is terrain crashes. This happens when pilots fail to safely maneuver the plane and crash into a mountain, a water body, the ground, or any other obstacle. This is usually referred to as controlled flight into terrain and isn’t a case of loss of control.

Mid-air collisions may not be the most common cause of airplane accidents, but they do occur. They usually happen because of erroneous flight navigation routes, miscommunication between tower controls, pilot negligence, system failure, etc.

When more than one engine of an airplane malfunction, the plane may not have enough power to run. This may cause the plane to stop mid-air. The pilot is forced to do an emergency landing and may not always be able to do so properly due to a lack of a proper runway. This can lead to accidents with many injuries and fatalities.

It is illegal to conduct low altitude operations unless pilots have permission for the same or are in a situation that necessitates low altitude flying. Flying at very low altitudes increases the chances of collision with objects/terrain.

An airplane might meet with an accident while taking off or landing. Many-a-time, pilots fail to judge the runway and make improper landings. An airplane may slide off the end of the runway and fall of or crash with whatever is present beyond the runaway. It may also land short of the runway and experience a rough landing. Worse still, it may descend too fast and the impact may be destructive.

Apart from the causes mentioned above, airplane accidents also happen because of a string of other factors like sabotage, interference by birds, runway conditions, lightning strikes, etc.

If you or someone you know has been in an airplane accident, you must opt for an attorney immediately. Understandably, the grieving nature of the accident can leave you and your family devastated. That doesn’t, however, mean that you pay for the fault of another. These airplane accidents are usually the fault of the ground staff or onboard crew or the flight operator themselves. Even if the accident was caused due to bad weather conditions or terror attacks, you are entitled to some compensation.
However, given the devastating nature of these accidents, many people usually feel at their wit’s end about what to do. An Airplane Accident Attorney Florida can help you in such a situation. They are experienced at determining who was responsible for the accident caused. Once done, they send a claim letter to the concerned party and their insurer demanding compensation for the damages incurred by their clients, i.e. you. You can, then, use this compensation to pay for medical bills, loss of work hours, physical disability, mental trauma, etc. If you have lost a dear one in an airplane accident, the attorney will demand compensation deemed equivalent for the same. If required, he will take the case to court if the insurer or party at-fault fails to pay the deserving compensation.