Is It Dangerous to Ride in a Small Plane?

There are very few things as exhilarating as flight, especially if it is done in the intimate confines of a small plane. However, as much of a rush as such an adventure can be, it is also ripe with danger if the pilot or plane is not up to snuff.

According to statistics released by USA Today, since 1964, almost 45,000 people in the U.S. have died in small plane and helicopter crashes, and unfortunately, many of these tragedies can be traced to defective parts, dangerous designs and pilot error.

Here in Florida, a small plane crashed into a public park recently, reportedly just missing an apartment building along the way. The Irish Independent reported that the plane involved was a Piper Cherokee, a single engine aircraft that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records indicate was built in 1972, which was being flown over St. Petersburg prior to the crash.

Including the pilot, there were four people in the plane at the time of the crash, all of them Irish citizens. Reportedly, everyone in the park at the time of the wreck escaped injury. However, one of the passengers and the pilot were seriously injured in the crash. The passenger was in the hospital in critical condition at the time of this report. The two other passengers onboard the plane escaped the wreckage with non-life-threatening injuries.

The FAA was called in to investigate the crash. The pilot told investigators that the engine failed as they were approaching the airport.

How Often Do Plane Crash Cases Go to Trial?

In the video below, injury lawyer Curtis B. Miner explains why aviation cases do not go to trial very often.