A plane crash in Marshfield injured one person last week. According to the Boston Globe, the small plane crashed into the woods near Marshfield Municipal Airport. The wreck caused a small fire too. Only the pilot was aboard the plane, and he sustained injuries. The small aircraft was a Maule M-5. The plane left the George Hollowfield Airport and was returning to land when it crashed into a tree.
Although small plane crashes rarely make the news, they do happen. There aren’t as many injuries and fatalities involved in small plane crashes, but people are still getting hurt. There are a variety of factors that contribute to why small planes crash. Listed below are a few statistics for plane crashes in 2010.
2010 Plane Crash Statistics
• 1,500 total civil aviation accidents occurred.
• Those incidents involved 1,520 U.S. registered aircraft.
• 275 of those accidents were fatal (18 percent.)
• General aviation accounted for almost 96 percent of total accidents and about 97 percent of fatal accidents.
Independent Federal Agency Study by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
Characteristics of Pilots Involved in Crashes
The NTSB analyzed a wide variety of factors that occurred in civil aviation accidents in 2010. The found that age differences vary quite a bit when different aircraft types are compared. For example, the average age of a wide-body (larger aircraft) pilot involved in an accident was 57.5 years old, and the average age of a turboprop (smaller plane) pilot involved in an accident was 35 years old. They also went on to show the difference in flight experience for pilots involved in accidents. The average flight time for a small jet pilot involved in an accident was 3,755.5 hours, when a wide body pilot’s average flight time was only 1,690.5 hours. These statistics certainly raise questions for passengers and concerned citizens, especially when one considers the importance of pilot competence in the cockpit.
Defining Events in Aircraft Accidents
The NTSB found that the most defining event for aircraft accidents was turbulence. Turbulence accounted for 26 percent of accidents in one particular NTSB aircraft accident study. The second most frequent event for crashes was ground collisions. Finally, the third most frequent defining event for accidents in 2010 was ground handling. One has to wonder how many of these collisions can be prevented each year through better planning and safety training for ground handlers and pilots.
Safe Travels
Statistically, travelling by airplane is still much safer than travelling by car. That being said, there is still some level of risk involved, whether you’re travelling in a small private plane or a large commercial jet.
Pilot error was also found to be a factor in many crashes for smaller aircraft. It may be necessary to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit after a private plane crash, especially if the pilot was negligent. Safety in the sky is just as important, if not more important, than safety on the ground.
What to do After a Plane Crash
If you have been injured or if you’ve lost a loved one in a private plane crash, contact the experienced legal team at Altman & Altman, LLP for a free consultation. We can help victims recover the compensation they deserve. If necessary, we can help you file a wrongful death lawsuit against negligent parties. Contact our experienced attorneys today at (617) 492-3000.