What Kind of Negligence Can Cause a Helicopter Accident?

Posted in Helicopter Accidents on October 27, 2016

In some sense, everything in life is dangerous. It’s possible to be hurt or killed when driving a car, playing a sport, walking down some stairs, and even walking through a grocery store.

Certain things carry a bit of extra danger with them, though, and flying through the air certainly is one of them. As the saying goes, “what goes up must come down,” and with aircraft equipment failure, when things “come down” unexpectedly, the potential for danger is catastrophic.

Any time any aircraft pilot (be it plane, helicopter, or space shuttle) takes their vehicle up in the air, there are a veritable litany of safety checks and tests to perform, in order to minimize any potential danger. Fluid levels must be to spec, engines can only have so many hours on them between services, bolts and fasteners must be tightened to an exact number of foot-pounds, and thousands of other exacting specifications.

There are also very strict guidelines about safe operation when up in the air, as well as a lot of training in regards to their implementation and adherence. Weight limits must never be exceeded, engine speed and altitude must be managed properly, cargo must be properly secured, etc.

Unfortunately, as with most things in life, sometimes corners are cut, and even if nothing bad happens 999 times out of 1000, that thousandth time when something does go wrong, it is the fault of the aircraft operator cutting that one corner.

The vast majority of aircraft pilots are fastidious about following all the rules and regulations, but they are human, and as such, sometimes take shortcuts. While most people in most walks of life are able to skate by with minimal consequences for such actions, when an individual such as a pilot holds other peoples’ lives in their hands, they need to go above and beyond to ensure everyone’s safety.

If you know someone who was injured or killed as a result of an aircraft crash, do not hesitate to get in touch with an aviation attorney right away. The accident could have been a result of negligence, and you may have legal options.