Commercial Aviation Crash

Traveling by air is certainly one of life’s great pleasures, but unfortunately this feeling of happiness comes at a high price. The air is not in and of itself a hostile environment; we breathe it every minute to keep us alive. However, the air at 30,000 feet is not only thinner and less pressurized but a critical mechanical failure can increase downward velocity by 32ft per second squared.

There are literally thousands of causes for a commercial aviation crash. Pilot or mechanical error, adverse weather conditions, terrorism, even birds can all be responsible for the spectacular loss of property and life that often dominates the nightly news. Unfortunately, the nature of air travel makes this mode of transportation particularly unforgiving, as the combination of high velocities, large mass, extreme altitudes, and combustible chemicals make surviving a plane crash one of the more difficult feats to accomplish.

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Boeing Crash

Boeing has been the world’s leading aircraft producer since it was founded in 1916. It has led the world in the development of planes and fueled the airline industry. There are few people who can claim to never have seen or heard the roar of the engine of a 747, and many more know the sleek shape without even knowing the name. Such is the legacy of Boeing.

Boeing Commercial Aircraft claims to produce more civilian airliners than any other manufacturer in the world, although Europe’s Airbus disputes this claim. Nevertheless, Boeing is still the largest American defense contractor, and the ubiquitous 737 and 747 model airliners have become common sights above the skies around the world.

It is also true that Boeing airplanes have been involved in a great number of airplane crashes since the beginning of the air travel age, not because of some inherent flaw in design or lack of responsibility but rather because there are simply so many Boeing planes in the air.

A plane crash is one of the most complicated and confusing experiences. For victims who survive such an incident or the families they leave behind the desire to understand the cause of the accident is often balanced by a desire to see justice. If your life has been forever altered by an airliner accident, contact a lawyer today.

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727 Crash

• American Airlines Flight 625, Crashed on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands on April 27, 1976. The short runway on the island was the bane of pilots around the world and caused this flight to fail to reach take off speed and crash into a gas station. This accident killed 37 out of the 88 people on board.
• Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 Boeing 727 Advanced On August 31, 1988 the plane crashed after takeoff from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport because the crew had failed to position the flaps appropriately for takeoff. The plane struck a building nearby and cost 14 people on the plane their lives.
• Eastern Airlines Flight 66 This flight crashed on a route between New Orleans and New York City on June 24, 1975, due to a combination of pilot errors and faulty relay of ground conditions to the flight crew. 109 passengers and 6 crew members were killed in the accident.

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737 Crash

• United Airlines Flight 585 On March 3, 1991, a Boeing 737-200 carrying 20 passengers and 5 crew crashed as it was approaching the runway for landing, killing all 25 people on board. The flaps that controlled pitch malfunctioned causing the altitude to rapidly decrease. Although the cause was never firmly established the 737 was known to suffer severe control system problems
• Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Boeing 737-200 On April 28, 1988, the aircraft suffered an explosive decompression that caused one crew member to be sucked out of the cabin and die. It was later determined that metal fatigue and stress fractures exacerbated by corrosion caused the plane to suffer damage.
• USAir Flight 1493 Boeing 737 On February 1, 1991 crashed on approach at LAX due to an error by the traffic controllers. The plane crashed into another plane on the runway and hit a firehouse, killing 23 people on both planes.

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747 Crash

• United Airlines Flight 811 On February 24, 1989 a Boeing 747-122 experienced explosive decompression as it climbed to cruising altitude (between 22,000 and 23,000 feet) after taking off from Honolulu International Airport, Hawaii. Nine passengers were ejected and lost at sea and thirty other passengers suffered a variety of injuries from bruises and cuts, to frostbite, and depressurization injuries. It was concluded that improper wiring of a cargo door caused the rapid decompression
• TWA Flight 800 On July 17, 1996 this flight from New York To Paris suffered a calamitous fuel explosion that killed all 230 people on board. The cause of the fuel tank explosion could not be pinned down directly, though a short circuit in fuel quantity indication system was the likely culprit
• United Airlines Flight 826 This flight from Tokyo to Honolulu experienced several periods of mild turbulence before encountering volatile weather conditions that shook the entire plane and caused a number of serious injuries and one death. It was eventually determined that pilot’s decision to fly through adverse weather conditions and the failure of flight attendants to provide appropriate safety instructions led to the injuries.

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757 Crash

• American Airlines Flight 965 On December 20, 1995 this plane crashed into a mountain in Columbia, killing 159 people on board. The pilots misunderstood the ground control communication and began landing procedures well in advance of the airfield. The landing procedure could not be reversed in time to correct descent and thus the plain collided with a 3,000 meter mountain at 9:40 PM
• Alas Nacionales Flight ALW 301 The pilots on this flight on February 6, 1996 from the Dominican Republic to Frankfurt noticed in-flight that the airspeed indicators were malfunctioning. This error led to a domino effect of corrections made by the pilots to accommodate the new airspeed, but eventually led the plane to stall and crash killing all 189 people onboard.
• AeroPeru Flight 603 This flight on October 2, 1996 from Lima to Santiago reported instrument trouble that read to contradicting airspeed readings. After attempting to re-land the plane crashed into water killing all 70 people on board. It was revealed that during the preflight washing of the aircraft masking tape was left on the sensors which lead prevented accurate instrument readings.

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767 Crash

• Lauda Air Flight 004 On May 26, 1991 while en route to Vienna the reverse thrusters on this 767 suddenly engaged while over the jungle near Bangkok. There was never any reason for the thrust to suddenly fire, and the explosion of the crash was so powerful that the wings were found 19 km from the crash site. 223 passengers and crew were killed in the calamity.
• Air China flight 129 On April 15, 2002 a 767 from Beijing to Pusan was forced to make a circling approach because of adverse weather conditions. Because the crew was not properly trained to handle the size of the aircraft it crashed into a mountain killing 129 people on board.
• EgyptAir Flight 990 On October 31, 1999 this that originated from LAX that connected at New York on its way to Cairo suffered one of the most notorious pilot sabotages in history. The copilot was apparently suicidal and entered in faulty flight information that caused the plane to crash into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 217 people on board.

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Airbus Crash

Airbus is currently the world’s largest civilian aircraft manufacturer. Based in France, it primarily supplies planes to many international airlines, but has recently made inroads into the U.S. market, much to the chagrin of Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas. Airbus has a reputation for quality and innovation, but their technical strides often out-reach the capabilities of the crews who fly and maintain these remarkable machines.

Since becoming the major player in aircraft manufacturer Airbus has been the target of several accusations of improper business relations with several large European governments, but it is unknown if this difficulty will translate to a decrease in quality. Nevertheless, Airbus planes have been involved in a number of deadly crashes.

As Airbus continues to compete with Boeing for dominance in global aircraft manufacturing, it is inevitable that there well be even more serious crashes in the years to come. If you or someone you know has been unfortunate to be injured because of an Airbus crash, you need to immediately consult a lawyer with the knowledge and dedication to approach these types of new cases with vigor and determination. Don’t suffer in vain. Contact a knowledgeable lawyer today.

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A330 Crash

• American Airlines Flight 587 Airbus A300-600 Crashed into Belle Harbor in Queens, New York on November 12, 2001. All 260 people onboard were killed, making it the second deadliest crash in American history. The plane flew through the jetwash of another airliner which caused the copilot to attempt to use the rudder to compensate for the turbulence. Unfortunately the stress broke off the entire tail of the plane in flight.
• Airbus Industrie Test Flight Crash On June 30,1994 this plane crashed on takeoff killing 7 subjects onboard. The 330 was still in its early test production phases, and a combination of pilot inexperience, test operations, and new technology contributed to the crash
• Air Transat Flight TS236 On August 24, 2001 a 330 was leaving Toronto when the aircrew noticed that the plane was severely leaking fuel. The right engine then flared out forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. Although no one was killed, it remains as an example of what can happen should an airliner receive improper ground maintenance between flights.

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A321 Crash

• British Midland Flight 8412 The pilot on this charter flight on May 26, 2003 decided to fly through a hail storm that significantly damaged several windows and control surfaces. All 221 people on board made it to safety, but severe weather such as this often cause serious accidents for many aircraft
• Transasia Airways Flight 532 This Airbus crushed a utility vehicle on approach to Tainan Airport in Taiwan. Two construction workers were hurt but luckily no one on board suffered injury. The lack of communication between ground crew, pilots, and air traffic controllers could have very easily caused a catastrophe.

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A320 Crash

• Gulf Air Flight 072 On August 23, 2000 a flight from Cairo to Bahrain suffered an autopilot malfunction which in turn led to a chain of events that eventually resulted in the plane entering a steep descent that caused a crash that took the lives of 143 people on board. Ultimately it was a combination of factors such as pilot error, technical failure, and lack of safety precautions that led to the crash.
• Air Inter Flight 148 On January 20, 1992 this Airbus crashed on approach to Strasbourg due to a programming error entered by the flight crew into the navigational computer. 87 people onboard the plane died, and as a result Airbus overhauled its computer input readouts to accommodate more input safety precautions.
• Indian Airlines Flight IC605 On approach into Bangalore this Airbus 320 descended well below the normal approach profile and struck buildings near the runway, rolled, then crashed on the 17th green of a nearby golf course, killing 92 people. It was later concluded that a pilot error caused the plane to descend too rapidly.

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McDonnell-Douglas Crash

When the two powerful aviation companies McDonnell and Douglas merged in 1966 a new force for aircraft development was born. The development of the DC-8 and DC-9 shrank the world in unimaginable ways, and connected people around the globe through fast and consistent jet flights. There are few airports that do not see a McDonnell-Douglas plane at least once a day.

Although technically a part of Boeing since 1997, McDonnell-Douglas is responsible for some of the most popular commercial aircraft in history. It does go without saying that the popularity of McDonnell-Douglas aircraft has caused the number of accidents to increase as well. Like any other aviation disaster, McDonnell-Douglas crashes are often a combination of structural failures, faulty engineering, and human error.

Even though many of the most popular McDonnell-Douglas planes are being slowly phased out my more modern aircraft, they still remain in service throughout the country and around the world. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a McDonnell-Douglass airplane crash, contact a lawyer immediately. You maybe entitled to pursue a settlement against the airline, the aircraft manufacturer, or anyone else responsible for your hardship. Don’t wait. Consult an aviation accident lawyer as soon as possible.

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DC-9 Crash

• Valujet Flight 592 DC-9 May 11, 1996 suffered a cockpit fire and crashed into the Florida Everglades killing all 110 passengers and crew on board. The fire was caused by a combination of factors including faulty maintenance and outdated equipment.
• Continental Airlines Flight 1713 November 15, 1987 Douglas DC-9-14 crashed as a result of significant icing on the wing control surfaces. Without the ability to manipulate the wing controls the plane crashed on take off. The pilot’s failure to have the plane de-iced result in a crash that killed 28 people on board.
• Alaska Airlines Flight 261 MD-83 January 31, 2000 Crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Point Mugu, California. All 83 passengers and 5 crew were killed, and the accident was later attributed to a jam in the horizontal stabilizer due to a combination of violations for redundant systems.

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DC-10 Crash

• American Airlines Flight 191 May 25, 1979 Crashed on runway after one of the engines causing the airplane to stall. This led to a domino effect that resulted in the deaths of all 258 passengers, 13 crewmembers and two people on the ground making this crash the worst single aviation disaster in U.S. history.
• United Airlines Flight 232 On July 19, 1989 A DC-10 from Denver to Chicago suffered a failure in the second engine which caused the hydraulic system to shut down. This failure caused the crew to lose a great deal of control of the plane. On the approach for landing the nose of the plane began to pitch downward, the right wing dropped, and the plane crashed, cartwheeled, and caught fire. Of the 296 people onboard, 111 died in a crash that the NTSB concluded was caused by a poor preflight inspection that should have detected a crack in the fan of an engine intake.
• Türk Hava Yollari Flight 981 On March 3, 1974, this flight from Paris to London suffered decompression because of the loss of the left aft cargo door. This depressurization resulted in the ejection of six passengers from the airplane and the loss of control over the tail control surfaces which led to the plane crashing killing all 346 people onboard. This tragic incident was caused by a combination of poor design and failure to properly inspect the plane before takeoff.

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DC-8 Crash

• Arrow Air Flight MF1285R This charter flight was entirely filled by members of the 101st Airborne Division out of Kentucky. After leaving Germany the plane landed in Canada where it was refueled and restocked. Unfortunately the wing surfaces iced over while on the ground which increased the weight of the plane and caused a crash on the initial climb and killed all 256 people onboard.
• Emery Flight 17 After leaving Sacramento on a routine cargo flight to Dayton this DC-8 crashed because one of the plane’s control surfaces failed because a control tab was not properly fastened. The plane then crashed into a nearby auto yard and destroyed 200 cars. Even though there were only three fatalities linked to this crash, it is testament to how a simple mistake can cause loss of life and incredible loss of property.
• Fine Air Flight 101A This cargo flight took off from Miami to the Dominican Republic carrying pallets of denim fabric. Unfortunately the cargo was not secured in the hold and altered the center of gravity in the plane which led to a crash during takeoff. The failure to follow basic loading procedures and monitor safety caused the plane to crash into the airport and kill all four people onboard and one person on the ground.

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Discount Airline Crash

Air travel is by nature an expensive undertaking. Airplanes are complicated machines, require hours of maintenance, expensive fuel, experienced crews, dedicated storage facilities etc. Most airlines that operate at a profit do so at such a thin margin that even small interruptions in income can severely reduce operational capacity. Larger events, such as the bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103 can destroy not just an aircraft, but an entire airline.

An alternative to what many saw as the excessive charges for often mediocre service became the so-called “discount airlines.” Although the concept of limiting amenities in order to lower price of travel had been around since the 1940’s, the power of jets allowed for more passengers and cargo, and combined with the much larger affluent middle class many carriers were inspired by increased competition to offer domestic and international travel at much lower rates than before.

Unfortunately some airlines skip on necessities rather than on amenities. Ground maintenance, quality control, and professional reliability are often the first casualties of airlines who cut corners, but certainly not the last. Although these low-cost carriers seem to offer a bargain on the expenses of air travel, the questions of reliability and safety remain primary concerns.

The most infamous discount airlines crash is the incident of ValuJet Flight 592. On May 11, 1996 the crew of this DC-9 experienced smoke in the crew compartment and requested to return to Miami for an emergency landing. Suddenly an intense fire broke out in one of the cargo holds causing the plane to crash into a nearby swamp, killing all 110 people on board. It was later determined that oxygen generators improperly labeled as non-hazardous material by a transport company caused the fire.

Flying is risky, but it does not need to be riskier than it has to be. If a discount airline cut corners on safety and caused you or someone you know to suffer unjustly you need to contact the law offices of Wayne Ferrell today. We are ready to fight for you. Contact us today.

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