NTSB Discovered Plane Engine in Fatal Crash Caused a Previous Plane Accident as Well

A year and a half after a plane crashed into a supermarket, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released an updated report indicating the engine on the plane was also used in another fatal plane crash.

Last year, a single-engine Seawind 3000 plane crashed through the roof of the DeLand Publix supermarket on International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida shortly after takeoff. The 60-year-old pilot suffered third-degree burns in the crash and died a month later as a result of injuries related to the accident. A passenger in the plane and three people in the grocery store were also injured.

According to the NTSB report, the serial number of the engine installed on the Seawind 3000 was the same as that of the engine on a Piper 300 that was involved in a fatal accident in 1993. In that accident, the airplane lost partial engine power during takeoff in Big Bear City, California.

According to the report, investigators discovered wrong parts were installed. Two of the cylinders were not approved for installation on that kind of engine.

“As an accident investigator, anytime I see improper serial numbers or the wrong parts, my red flag pops up. If a cylinder fails, that is going to cause a partial or complete engine failure, and that’s what appeared to happen to the airplane,” stated retired Air Force colonel and aviation expert Robert Owen.

Aviation Litigation

Colson Hicks Eidson is among the few law firms nationwide that have tried complex products liability claims arising from aviation crashes in and outside of the U.S. Our firm has successfully litigated dozens of high profile aviation cases against major aviation companies.

Ranked among the top litigators in the country, we fight aggressively to protect injured clients and their families. To schedule a consultation with someone from our firm, do not hesitate to contact us today at 305-476-7400.

Colson Hicks Eidson – Injury Attorneys