Aviation Accident Attorneys
Aviation Law Group PS is a leading law firm representing persons on the West Coast and throughout the United States, in aircraft accidents and other aviation-related cases involving serious injury and wrongful death. ALG has expanded its domestic practice nationally to include the West Coast and East Coast, with offices in Seattle, Washington, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jupiter, Florida. With more than 35 years of experience practicing law and more than 45 years in aviation, ALG is proud of our highly credentialed attorneys, who are all also certified commercial pilots and two are certified mechanics. ALG has a long history of excellent legal work and results on behalf of hundreds of clients in the highly technical and complex area of aviation litigation. ALG attorneys are licensed to practice law throughout the United States, including Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, California, and Florida. We routinely handle cases throughout the U.S., and with local counsel we can bring our aviation experience to cases in all 50 States, Canada, and Internationally.
Bob Hedrick
Attorney 30+ years
Commercial Pilot
A&P Aviation Mechanic
20+ Years Professor of Aviation Accident Law
Casey DuBose
Attorney 10+ years
Commercial Pilot
Flight Instructor
Fluent Mandarin Chinese
Professor of Aviation and Space Law
Kerry Kovarik
Attorney 16+ years
Commercial Pilot
Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Former FAA Authorized Inspector
Chris Rusing
Attorney 20+ years
Airline Pilot & Instructor
Airbus 320 Series Captain
WHAT WE DO
Aviation Accident Law
General Aviation Accidents
General aviation involves private and recreational flight activity. It includes non-airline flights such as scenic flights, flight training, private flights, recreational flights, helicopter flights and operations, seaplanes, flying clubs, business flights, gliders, and a lot of other aerial activity. All of Aviation Law Group attorneys have extensive experience in many aspects of general aviation, from flying and instructing, to operations and aircraft maintenance. Since 1988, our lawyers have handled accidents involving nearly all aspects of general aviation activity for airplanes, helicopters, and fixed base operators.
Helicopter Accidents
Helicopter accidents often involve issues of external load operations such as longline or external load (link to external load), heli-lifting, heli-logging, and fire-fighting support.
Major Airline Accidents
ALG attorneys have represented numerous families who lost loved ones in major airline disasters, such as the January 31, 2000, Alaska Flight 261 accident near Point Hueneme, California, and the February 25, 2009, Turkish Airline Flight TK 1951 accident in Amsterdam. We have extensive experience with international airline liability law, including the Montreal Convention and its predecessor the Warsaw Convention, where issues of liability, jurisdiction, applicable law, and recoverable damages are complex. ALG attorneys have given many talks and written numerous articles in this specialized field of law. Mr. Hedrick also teaches the Montreal Convention as part of his Aviation Accident Law course at Seattle University School of Law.
International Coverage and Regional Expertise
Washington
Unfortunately, aircraft accidents occur nearly weekly throughout Washington. In addition, many aircraft accidents outside of Washington involve Washington manufacturers or operators.
Alaska
Because of the extent of aviation activity throughout the 49th and largest state in the U.S., Robert Hedrick obtained his attorney license in Alaska nearly 20 years ago in 2002 and is an active member of the Alaska Bar Association.
Hawaii
Aviation activity is unique in the Hawaiian archipelago because of its location and geographical topography.
Recent Aviation Law News
Jeju Air 2216 : Boeing 737 Aircraft Systems in Review
At this point, with the video evidence, it is somewhat inexplicable why the aircraft would have landed without slats and flaps and without its landing gear. Even with a catastrophic engine failure, or bird strike, it is hard to imagine a situation where both the slats and flaps and the landing gear would all be unavailable to the crew.
Jeju Air Crash: A Horrible Tragedy Unfolds
Early cause speculation is usually incomplete and, in some cases, completely wrong.
HA35 Pilots Knew Of Serious Bad Weather And Turbulence Before Recklessly Flying Into It And Not Around It | NTSB Final Report Confirms ALG’s Investigation
The NTSB’s statement that the flight crew should have “gone around” the storm cell confirms a central aspect of our allegations: this was an avoidable accident. Had the pilots taken the safer route, the severe turbulence encounter might never have occurred. Had more forceful, timely warnings been issued, fewer passengers would have been injured. These failures constitute negligence, and they are precisely why we continue to fight on behalf of the injured passengers.
The dangers of a loss of power on takeoff: Crash in Ocala Florida
On October 17, 2023, at roughly 10:50 a.m., a Tecnam P 2010 Mk II, crashed shortly after takeoff from Taylor Field, Ocala Florida, seriously injuring the student pilot and their instructor. Our hearts go out to the pilots and their families, and we wish them a speedy...
A Tragic Crash in Hillsboro Shows the Dangers of Multi-Engine Training Flights
On Tuesday, October 3rd at approximately 6:45pm, N8360K, a 1981 Piper PA-44 Seminole, operated by Hillsboro Aero Academy, tragically crashed killing two and leaving a third in critical condition. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Video footage of...
NTSB Report: Pilot tried to activate fire suppression system in BSO helicopter.
In the recent tragic occurrence, a Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue helicopter, N108BC, crashed into an apartment building on August 28. According to the preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the pilot noted an escalating temperature in...
ALG Starts Investigation on Broward County Helicopter Crash
On August 28, 2023, at around 8:41 a.m., a helicopter registration number N109BC, owned and operated by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) crashed into an apartment building in Pompano Beach, Broward County Florida killing a BSFR Captain and an adult civilian who was...
What Caused The Maritime Helicopters Crash On The North Slope Of Alaska on July 20, 2023?
On July 20, 2023, a Bell 206 helicopter, operated by Maritime Helicopters, Inc. crashed into a lake in northern Alaska. The three passengers and the pilot did not survive the accident. Our hearts go out to their families and friends. Alaska Department of Natural...
Why the Titan Accident May Be Litigated In Washington State
Like millions of people in the U.S. and around the world, we have been closely watching the news about the OceanGate submersible The Titan. This most tragic accident occurring at the most well-known underwater graveyard of the Titanic is ironic and simply...
Aviation Law Group (ALG) expands practice to Florida
We are thrilled to announce that ALG Attorney Chris Rusing has successfully passed the rigorous Florida Bar Exam in February 2023. This accomplishment expands ALG’s legal practice to encompass those affected by severe aviation accidents in the Sunshine State....
The Tragic Twin Otter Aircraft Accident Off The California Coast: Something Terrible Went Wrong
They Had Enough Fuel, But Could Not Get It To The Engines The Twin Otter, N153QS, owned by Seafly LLC, a Delaware Corporation with a representative office in Palo Alto, CA, was involved in a fatal accident during a ferry flight to Hawaii. This aircraft, returning from...
HA35 Flight Crew Told Passengers It Was OK To Get Out Of Seats Right Before Turbulence
Many of the passengers of Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35, which flew into severe turbulence on December 18, 2022, report that right before the turbulence hit, the airline crew announced that they were approaching Honolulu and that it was OK to use the bathroom and get up...
ALG Attorney Hedrick Gives Talk At Paris International Aviation Law Conference
On April 22, 2023, ALG attorney Robert Hedrick gave a presentation at the 13th Annual Conference On International Aviation: Liability, Insurance, and Finance, in Paris. The event was hosted by McGill University and PEOPIL (Pan European Organization of Personal Injury...
Three killed in Learjet accident off the California coast
In a tragic incident on the morning of May 10, 2023, a Learjet 36A, operated by Phoenix Air Group LLC of Cartersville, Georgia, crashed off the coast of San Clemente Island, California. The crash resulted in the unfortunate death of three onboard - two pilots and a...
Provo Airport Phenom 300 fatal accident: What caused the loss of control?
On January 2, 2023, an Embraer EMB-505 (aka Phenom 300), N555NR, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at the Provo Municipal Airport, Provo, Utah. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, two passengers sustained serious injuries, and one passenger...
Representative Cases
Airplane Mis-fueling Accident
A lineman working for local aircraft fueling operation pumped Jet-A aircraft fuel into the tanks of a reciprocating single-engine airplane, which required 100 octane low lead fuel.
Defective Carburetor Accident
In February 2013, following a 3-week trial, a Washington jury returned a verdict for $8.9 million in favor of our client against an aircraft engine manufacturer.
Regional Fly-In Accident
After a 3-week jury trial, Robert Hedrick obtained a $10.5 million verdict against a regional fly-in host and its national counterpart. The case involved failure to arrange for adequate fire and emergency response at the event, which caused a pilot to die needlessly.
Aircraft Design Defect
Last year, after a two-week trial, a 12-person jury returned a verdict in favor of the clients of Aviation Law Group, finding that an aircraft’s flight control system was defectively designed, which caused the deaths of a pilot and his passenger.
Firm Contact Information
If you or a loved one has been the victim of an aviation-related accident, please reach out to us. We are always willing to provide a free initial evaluation and meeting.