For those who have dreamed of flying a plane for their entire lives, becoming a pilot is a glorious thing. That feeling of elation as you pull back on the yoke and lift off the ground is indescribable, especially after you’ve trained for years to make the moment happen. Unfortunately, even the best pilots can run into difficulties, from weather to poor tower communication and manufacturing defects in planes. And, unlike car crashes, which are often survivable, airplane accidents are usually fatal, especially when they involve small aircraft
On a recent Friday night, a 46-year-old man, his wife and young daughter were headed for Boerne, Texas in a small Beechcraft Bonanza. They took off a little after nine and, for reasons yet to be determined, the plane went down shortly thereafter. All three family members were killed in the crash and the plane was ravaged by fire. The couple’s 18-year-old daughter had just graduated from high school that night and the three were traveling.
Local authorities came to the scene within a few minutes and were able to retrieve the bodies, but it was too late. The National Transportation Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were scheduled to conduct an investigation into the possible causes of the accident.
In crashes like these, much of the evidence is destroyed, but an attorney who specializes in aviation accidents may be able to sort through the evidence that remains to piece together whether it was caused by a manufacturing defect, the weather or pilot error.
Source: lubbockonline.com, “Plainview family of 3 killed in plane crash, teen just graduated from high school (UPDATED),” Sarah Rafique, May 29, 2015
