Small Plane Kills South Carolina Beachgoer While Making Emergency Landing

Virginia (VA) Wrongful Death Lawyers
Offices in Virginia Beach, Hampton & Elizabeth City, NC

Wrongful Death

3/16/2010
James Lewis
Comments (0)

Small Plane Kills South Carolina Beachgoer While Making Emergency Landing

A small plane returning to Norfolk from Orlando, Florida (FL), on the afternoon of Monday, March 15, experienced catastrophic mechanical failures and killed a man on a Hilton Head, South Carolina (SC), beach when the plane's pilot attempted an emergency landing.
plane crash Hilton Head killed

The Island Packet, which reports on news concerning Hilton Head, noted that the propeller of the single-engine Lancair IV-P came off and that the cockpit windshield became covered in engine oil before the pilot brought the plane down. The plane is registered in Chesapeake, Virginia (VA), and had flown from Hampton Roads Executive Airport to Orlando earlier in the day on Monday. Representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board are heading up the investigation into the fatal accident.

Determining why the engine died and the prop detached could take months. One conclusion could be that the plane was incorrectly constructed or maintained. The author of a Bend (OR) Bulletin article about accidents involving Lancair aircraft noted that the planes are kits that owners put together themselves. As a small plane pilot myself, I know that none of my flying colleagues would ever intentionally construct or operate an unsafe plane. I also know how complex a piece of machinery a plane is, though, and how easy it is to overlook small imperfections or problems waiting to happen.

According to the NTSB, 495 people died in general aviation accidents in the United States during 2008. These fatalities involved pilots, passengers and people on the ground. Each of the accidents had its specific cause -- ranging from severe weather to pilot error and problems with the planes themselves. Each accident also ended one or more lives too soon.

My thoughts go out to the family and friends of the man killed Monday.

EJL

Labels: airplane aviation crashes FAA fly Hilton Head injury Jim Leiws killed loss of life maintenance Norfolk passengers pilot propeller

How can you identify a top Virginia injury lawyer for your case? Look no further.

Our VA personal injury lawyers have been selected for many accolades.

Two of the attorneys with our Virginia Beach accident injury law firm, James Lewis and Rick Shapiro, have been named the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Two of our VA injury lawyers -- Lewis and Shapiro - have been named to Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury since 2010. In addition, Lewis and Shapiro have been selected for inclusion in the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum since 2009.

Our VA accident injury law firm was the first in the commonwealth nvited to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms. Rick Shapiro was named as one of the Top 100 Injury Lawyers in Virginia by the National Trial Lawyers Association.

In October, 2000 our law firm and co-counsel obtained what was then the largest verdict in Virginia's history for an injured person. Our brain damaged client received an initial award of $46 million that rose to $60 million with interest when the defendant abandoned an appeal and agreed to settle.

Geographical Areas

Our personal injury lawyers handle personal injury cases throughout the eastern USA, and work closely with lawyers in other states on signficant injury cases.

In Virginia, this includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, Richmond, Petersburg, Roanoke, Salem, Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Charlottesville, Ashland, Big Stone Gap, and every community on the Eastern Shore, including Accomack, Onancock, Chincoteauge, Wachapreague, and Cape Charles, Bloxom, Eastville, Exmore, Greenbackville, Machipongo, Mappsville, Melfa, Nassawadox, Onley, Tangier, Temperanceville, Wachapreague and Wallops Island.

In West Virginia, we can handle personal injury claims in Bluefield, Beckley, Bridgeport, Charles Town, Charleston, Fairmont, Huntington, Lewisburg, Madison, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, Ripley, Sutton, Weirton, Wheeling and any other town or county.

Injury Lawyers licensed in VA, WV, North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Kentucky (KY), Florida (FL) and Washington, DC.

About the Editors: Shapiro, Lewis & Appleton is a Virginia injury law firm whose attorneys focus on personal injury and accident law and have experience handling wrongful death cases. We have offices in Virginia Beach and Hampton, VA, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia if your family member or loved one was killed as a result of someone else's carelessness.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis have been named to the National Million Dollar Advocates Form since 2009 and listed among the Best Lawyers in America since 2008. Shapiro and Lewis have also been named Virginia Super Lawyers for Personal Injury Law since 2010. Fewer than 5 percent of lawyers are chosen for this professional honor. In addition, ours was the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical and respected law firms.

Our VA personal injury firm has the highest rating of AV from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer ranking organization, which means we have a reputation for preeminent legal skill.

While not every injury case meets our criteria, we offer free initial confidential case consultations, so call us toll free at (800) 752-0042. If you cannot get through due to high call volume, please leave a voicemail so we can return your call.

There are no comments.

Search Our Site

Get help Now!

Practice Areas

Wrongful Death

Small Plane Kills South Carolina Beachgoer While Making Emergency Landing

Post a comment