Chesapeake Plane Crash Kills Two People | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

James Stidfole of Yorktown, Virginia (VA), and Teresa Hill of Virginia Beach were killed in a plane crash just after takeoff from the Chesapeake Regional Airport. They were brother and sister, and both were only in their early 40s.

My deepest sympathies go out to their family. Losing a loved one in a sudden accident is a gut-wrenching experience because it comes out of nowhere and can leave your life in shambles.  

Their plane was homemade and described as small. Reports indicate the plane backfired several times after taking off, according to wvec.com.  They said it appeared that the pilot was trying to come back around when the plane crashed into the adjacent field.

Many questions need to be answered about this airplane crash. For example, what type of home made airplane did the victims build and use? Was there an inherent defect in the design of the home made plane? We’ll have to wait and see what the accident report reveals.

If it turns out the home-made plane was defective and could have been prevented by the manufacturer, the family of the victims should consider filing a wrongful death claim.

To get more information about what to do if you lost a loved one in a plane accident, take a look at this free report co-written by an attorney who is a licensed pilot: Airplane Accident Guide.

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