Suffolk Airplane Accident Highlights Risk of Faulty Equipment

The pilot of a Mooney M-20 airplane went out for a flight and wound up crashing into the woods of Suffolk, Virginia (VA). Why? Because the plane's FL-2 fuel gauge malfunctioned and did not alert the pilot that the plane ran out of gas, according to the Kathryn Report. There were two passengers on the plane along with the pilot, but only the pilot suffered a serious injury.

On average, there are 1,600 airplane accidents that occur in the U.S. every year. In 2009, there have been 1,509 plane crashes.

My colleague, Randy Appleton, wrote an article about this crash and revealed that this was the 14th general aviation accident in Virginia this year.

Unfortunately, malfunctioning equipment is a common cause for aviation accidents. For example, it appears the tragic Air France Airbus A330 accident which killed 228 people was due to faulty air speed indicators.

As a licensed pilot, I understand the risks associated with malfunctioning flight equipment. The key is to remain calm and collected when the plane starts to have problems. It appears the pilot of the Mooney M-20 plane did what he could to land the plane without causing serious harm to the passengers and people on the ground. This accident was bad and caused a serious injury, but on the bright side, it could have been a lot worse. 

About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton is a law firm which focuses on injury and accident law and we have experience handling accidents involving mass transit such as airplanes, trains, and buses. Our primary office in based in Virginia Beach, but we're ready to come to you anywhere in Virginia if you've been seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness. We are ready to talk to you right now and provide free initial confidential injury case consultations, so call us toll free at 1-800-752-0042.

Rick Shapiro and James Lewis were included among the "Best Lawyers in America" 2010 Edition, named Virginia "Super Lawyers" For Personal Injury Law  (2009, less than 5% of lawyers are chosen), and selected by the National Million Dollar Advocates Forum (2009). In addition, we were the first injury law firm in Virginia to join Primerus, a select group of highly ethical, respected law firms. Our 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.

Our injury attorneys also host an extensive injury law video library on Youtube . Furthermore, our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard and Norfolk Injuryboard as a public information service along with editing a blog devoted exclusively to railroad accident and FELA law.

Labels: accident Airbus A330 airplane Attorney aviation Crash FL-2 injury Lewis Mooney M-20 pilot plane