Miami Helicopter Accident  Lawyer: Sean M. Cleary

Helicopters Crash More Often Than Airplanes

According to statistics, over 2 million Americans fly on a daily basis, mainly on commercial flights. As stated in data collected by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) helicopters crash at a slightly higher rate than aircraft overall. The average for general aircraft accidents is 7.28/every 100K hours of flight time. For helicopters alone, the crash rate is 9.84/100K hours.

Helicopters crash about 35% more often per hour in the air than the average aircraft, often resulting in serious injury. However, the death rate in helicopter accidents is 1.3 deaths/100K flight hours versus 1.4 deaths for aircraft in general.

Cutting through traffic jams, avoiding rush hour, and delivering people right to their doors, in Florida, the helicopter is a favorite transportation method for doctors, lawyers, and corporate people, perpetually useful in busy cities. It's no wonder then that the helicopter charter market is on the increase. Helicopters are very complex, and one defect can cause a severe and often deadly crash. Since helicopters are sophisticated machines, they also require the highest level of maintenance and piloting skills. Accidents happen when these skills are insufficient or compromised. Both people and property nearby, as well as passengers and crew, can be affected by a helicopter crash. The fact that helicopters are used in risky operations, such as search and rescue missions, fire-fighting, law enforcement, medical evacuation, in war zones, and sometimes in bad weather, increases their chances of being involved in fatal accidents.

If a family member died in a helicopter accident, call us to investigate and evaluate your potential claim and fight for justice and your legal rights.

Helicopter Accidents: Causes

For a helicopter to operate safely, engines, rotors, driveshafts, gears, electronics, flight controls, and landing gear must be designed, manufactured, maintained, and operated with the utmost skill and care. We handle helicopter accident cases arising from:

Operational Error

An operational error is the one area where human error is most direct and apparent. Human error can occur in flight planning, the actual conduct of the flight, in training, or in maintenance.

• Pilots who continue into poor weather
• Poor communication
• Low-level maneuvering
• Inadequate preflight inspections
• Inadequate preflight planning
• Failure to use a checklist
• Running out of fuel
• Mismanagement of technology

Mechanical Defects

A component of the aircraft fails or doesn't function as intended. This is the peril most feared by helicopter crews because of its severity. The failure of a single key helicopter component such as the rotor and rotor shaft, tail rotor, or main gearbox often proves fatal.

• Blades that cause damage to the tail
• Faulty manufacture
• Fuel tanks that rupture and ignite
• Improper design
• Improper installation
• Improper use
• Inadequate lubrication or cooling
• Inadequate operational monitoring
• Inadequate quality control
• Inadequate testing
• Poor maintenance

Electrical Malfunction

A malfunction can result when the source is not working or one of the helicopter's components malfunctions.

• An electrical component stops working
• A short circuit occurs
• Inadequate design
• Inadequate operational monitoring
• Inadequate testing
• Inadequate quality control
• The electrical source stops working

All too commonly these factors cause great aircraft damage and personal injury, even death. The forensic investigation of the accident scene is particularly critical after a helicopter crash. Seemingly minor details, such as the condition of the rotors, can reveal a lot of information about how and why an accident occurred. No matter where your accident occurred, we may be able to help. The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary can represent victims and their families throughout the United States.