Pilot Error Caused Crashes

Negligence, Poor Judgment, Disorientation

Pilot error is an issue in many aviation accidents. The pilot may have inadequate training or may make the wrong judgment. If there is a question about whether or not to fly, it is the pilot’s responsibility to make the decision.

Pilot Error Aircraft Crash Attorneys

At Gray Ritter Graham in St. Louis, we know aviation. Attorney Morry Cole, a licensed pilot and personal injury lawyer, leads our investigation and litigation of our aviation accident cases.

• A pilot’s training may be inadequate for the circumstances and lead to pilot error. A pilot without instrument training can suffer from spatial disorientation and may be unable to tell if the plane is ascending or descending. There are precise procedures for instrument landings; a missed instrument approach can cause a crash.
• If a pilot fails to evaluate the weather accurately, that failure can put the plane and its passengers at risk. The smaller the plane, the greater the risk from hail storms, thunderstorms and snowstorms. Icing can put the plane out of balance and lead to a crash.
• Failing to properly calculate the weight and balance of the plane’s load can put the plane at risk. If the pilot failed to evaluate the distance required for take-off or if the pilot failed to take into account the changing balance as the plane burns fuel, the resulting imbalance could be dangerous.

At the start of every flight, the pilot must make the correct go/no go decision.

The pilot’s go/no-go decision is critical to the safety of the flight. The pilot’s training, physical and mental condition, or drug and alcohol use can affect those decisions. At GRG, we investigate aviation accidents quickly and thoroughly to determine whether pilot error was a factor and gain an accurate understanding of what happened and why.

Contact us for a consultation. We represent clients in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and throughout the U.S.