When I heard the terrible news that a Sikorsky S-76B carrying nine people, including Kobe Bryant and his daughter, crashed near Calabasas, California, I checked the weather. Heavy fog. I then reviewed the Air Traffic Control recordings. SVFR (Special Visual Flight Rules). I then learned that the helicopter was not equipped with TAWS (Terrain Awareness… Read More
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Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Trauma and Immersion
This is the final part of a three-part post on cold water survivability and aviation crashes. Please note that this post discusses the emergency situations and readers who have experienced traumatic accidents may prefer not read further. In in part two of the post, we discussed the mechanics, or physics, of the crash itself: We… Read More
Despite Special Federal Aviation Regulations, Commercial Air Tour Operators in Hawaii Still Have Fre
On the night of December 26, 2019, a Safari Helicopters ASTAR B2 helicopter carrying one pilot and six passengers went missing off the coast of Kauai. The wreckage was found on the morning of the 27th. Victims of the crash continued to be recovered. Unfortunately, air tour operations in Hawaii have a checkered history. In… Read More
Jimmy Anderson Interviewed by Q13 News on Representing Victims of Aviation Accidents
Q13 Fox’s Jennifer Lee interviewed Krutch Lindell attorney Jimmy Anderson on his past experience representing aviation accident victims as part of a story on Boeing’s decision to suspend production of the 737 Max. Due to his unique experience as a pilot and an attorney, Jimmy often serves as a legal analyst for news outlets reporting… Read More
Article by Nate Bingham on In-Flight Sexual Assault Cases Published in WSAJ’s Trial News
The December 2019 edition of Trial News published an article by Krutch Lindell attorney Nate Bingham on a civil cause of action for acts of sexual violence committed on international flights. Nate’s article is available here.
Alaska Leads the Nation in Plane Crashes Per Capita
The Juneau Empire and the Associated Press recently reported on Alaska’s uniquely high rate of fatal plane crashes in the wake of the most recent crash that occurred in October near Dutch Harbor. As of November, there have already been 11 fatal crashes in Alaska this year alone. Despite having only .2% of the U.S…. Read More
Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Introduction
The location of an airplane or helicopter crash has a large effect on post-impact survivability. For example, a crash at a remote mountain range has a lower survivability than a similar crash at a large airport with advanced ARFF (Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting). When a crash occurs in the water, especially cold water, a whole… Read More
Cold Water Survivability and Aviation Crashes: Initial Impact Survivability
In this post, we will continue our cold water survivability discussion and take a look at how the mechanics of a crash itself affect cold water survivability issues. A passenger’s chances of surviving an aircraft’s initial impact with the water are most dependent on the degree to which the aircraft in under control at the… Read More
No Drones Allowed at the World Series
The FAA just announced on Twitter that Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros and the venue for game 7 of the World Series, is a #nodronezone. What does this mean? Well, the tweet means nothing. The FAA is not allowed regulate the U.S. aerospace system via Twitter. However, the FAA is most… Read More
Overview of Commercial Drone Regulations
A decade ago, remotely operated quadcopters (drones) were relatively unknown outside of the aviation community. Today, they are ubiquitous. Drones are commonly used for both recreational and commercial purposes such as photography, emergency response coordination, and land surveying. Some of the largest companies in the word are also working on more ambitious plans for autonomous… Read More
