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
ALG Attorneys Investigating Tragic Beech Baron Accident in Crystal River Florida
Preliminary findings from the initial investigation raise concerns about the aircraft’s left engine and the significant difficulties Mr. Holloway faced prior to the accident.
Test Flight Tragedy – Fatal Aircraft Crash in Fairview, Oregon
One of the most dangerous times to operate an aircraft is after a period of extended maintenance. This is why the FAA has specific regulations (CFR 91.407) that govern those flights to limit the risk to pilots, passengers, and other innocent bystanders.
Aviation Law Group Encourages The NTSB And The FAA To Re-Open Their Investigation Of Robinson Helicopter Main Rotor Control Loss Following Two Recent Tailboom Separation Accidents In Washington State and in Hawaii
ALG does not agree with the NTSB’s conclusion that it is simply pilot error that is causing the main rotor to impact the aircraft. In the real-world helicopters operate in a dynamic environment in which they can routinely and unpredictably encounter weather and/or flight conditions that can easily exceed Robinson’s narrow envelope for safe flight.
HA 35 Preliminary Report Raises More Questions About Flight Crew Information And Response
The NTSB issued its preliminary report on the HA 35 flight turbulence accident that occurred on December 18, 2022. The Hawaiian Airlines flight was approaching Hawaii after leaving Phoenix, when it hit severe turbulence, injuring at least 25 persons (passengers and...
Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35: Severe Turbulence Must Be Avoided At All Costs
Our hearts go out to the passengers and crew injured on Sunday, December 18, 2022, while flying on Hawaiian Airlines Flight HA35 from Phoenix to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Unfortunately, the Airbus 330 airplane they were riding in struck...
The Tragic Crash Of A Cessna 208B In Washington Involving Raisbeck Engineering Raises Serious Questions About What Happened
The Pacific Northwest has been rattled with yet another general aviation accident after the September 4 Northwest Seaplanes accident that took the lives of 10 persons. On November 18, 2022, a Cessna 208B Caravan (N2069B) crashed in Snohomish County, Washington, near...
FAA Emergency AD For De Havilland Otters Raises Questions
On October 4, 2022 the FAA issued emergency airworthiness directive (AD) 2022-21-51, which requires almost immediate inspection of the left elevator auxiliary spar of De Havilland Otter DHC-3 aircraft. While it is not known if this is related to the Northwest...
The Northwest Seaplanes Accident on Mutiny Bay: A Few Preliminary Thoughts and Legal Considerations
BY ROBERT HEDRICK, CASEY DUBOSE, KERRY KOVARIK, AND CHRIS RUSING {This article was originally published in the Washington State Bar News, October 2022. The Bar News is mailed to every attorney in the State of Washington. We are delighted that it was a featured...
Why was the accident seaplane so low?
The ADB-S data from the accident flight of N725TH shows a cruising altitude of 600 feet immediately prior a slight climb and then sharp descent to the water below. Why would the pilot would choose to operate the seaplane at such a low altitude? The answer is...
The Second Tragedy: Why Haven’t The Victims Been Found And Recovered
Losing a family member, whether parent, child, or sibling, or even a close friend, is unbearably hard enough. But the second tragedy of the Mutiny Bay Northwest Seaplanes accident, is the stunning fact that the bodies of nine loved ones remain under water, now eight...
History of DHC-3 Otter Reflects Flight Control Related Accident History
The aircraft involved in the Northwest Seaplanes crash occurring off Whidbey Island on September 4, 2022, was a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter registered as N725TH. The Otter is a large, single-engine aircraft popular for its ability to fly in and out of unimproved areas...
Who was the FAA Certified Operator of the Mutiny Bay Seaplane Accident – Northwest Seaplanes, Friday Harbor Seaplanes, or West Isle Air?
ALG research has confirmed that the FAA identifies a company called West Isle Air, Inc. as the FAA registered certificate holder for the De Havilland Otter Seaplane, N725TH, which was involved in the accident off Whidbey Island on September 4, 2022. The Federal...
Seaplane lost off the coast of Whidbey Island
On September 4th, 2022, ten people were lost in a tragic accident off the coast of Whidbey Island following the crash of a Northwest Seaplanes DHC-3 Otter. The flight departed from Friday Harbor at 14:50 local time, and its last position was reported at 15:09. The...
ATC’s role in the Midair Collision at North Las Vegas should be investigated.
On Sunday, July 17, 2022, a tragic and most preventable midair collision occurred above the North Las Vegas Airport. The aircraft involved were a single-engine Piper PA-46 (N97CX) and a single-engine Cessna 172 (N160RA). Two persons were on board each aircraft, and...
Hawaii Helicopter Air Tour Crashes Continue Despite NTSB Safety Recommendations
On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, a Bell 407 helicopter operated by Paradise Helicopters was on a flightseeing tour on Big Island, Hawaii, when it crashed, injuring all six persons on board, including numerous serious injuries. The accident occurred on a small lava field...
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.