While airplane travel is still one of the safest ways to travel overall, tragic accidents do occur. Commercial plane accidents are incredibly serious, and can cause grave injury or death to those involved.
Commercial plane accidents have been at the forefront of many people’s minds in recent years because of a number of tragic international incidents. The 2014 disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 and the downing of another Malaysian Airlines plane, MH17, over Ukraine in the same year are two of the most well-known examples.
Read on to learn more about some of the most common causes of commercial plane accidents, and contact the expert plane accident attorneys at Pope & Howard, P.C. for more information.
Whether a commercial plane accident is accidental, intentional, or a product of negligence, it is always a tragic event. If your loved one has been injured or killed in a commercial plane accident, please contact Pope & Howard, P.C. for legal counsel.
Commercial airplanes are built to withstand inclement weather, and pilots are trained on how to identify and avoid thunderstorms. Nevertheless, a small miscalculation or a sudden change in weather patterns can catch commercial planes off-guard, leading to accidents. If a commercial plane is caught up in strong winds, hail, and lightning, the pilot may lose control of the plane.
Most commercial airlines successfully help pilots avoid inclement weather, but if errors occur, the impact on human life can be fatal.
Mechanical error is another cause of commercial plane crashes. A mechanical failure may be a result of negligence if equipment was not properly checked, repaired or tested before the flight. In rare cases, mechanical errors may occur without prior warning.
The expert legal team at Pope & Howard, P.C. has extensive experience working with aviation accidents, and understands the technical and legal implications of crashes caused by mechanical errors.
Human error may be a related factor to other causes of commercial plane crashes; a pilot may make an error in judgement regarding the weather, or a mechanic might neglect to repair a mechanical problem.
Human error can also encompass far more than just the pilot on a commercial airline. Many people have the ability to affect a commercial plane’s flight, including air traffic controllers, mechanics, security personnel, flight crew and more.
Another unfortunate cause of commercial plane crashes is intentional harm. One recent example of such a tragedy is the 2015 crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps, which was deliberately brought down by the co-pilot.
Intentional commercial plane crashes are extremely tragic, but they are also very rare. The vast majority of commercial plane accidents happen as a result of preventable factors, such as human and mechanical error.
If you have a loved one who was injured or killed in a commercial airplane crash, contact Pope & Howard, P.C. in Atlanta to determine if you might have an aviation accident case. One of our founding partners, Marc Howard, previously worked as a trial lawyer for airlines and airports, and has the experience and expertise needed to take on complex aviation litigation.
With years of experience as trial lawyers, Marc Howard and Geoff Pope represent clients' interests who have been injured or treated wrongly due to the negligence of others. If you have suffered from any of the above wrongs, contact the experts at Pope & Howard P.C. to set up a free consultation. Contact us via our contact form or by phone: 404-885-9999.