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 Seriously Concerned About Crash of Robinson R-44 In Washington After Tail Boom Apparently Comes Off In Cruise Flight
NTSB preliminary report on N323TT hints that this crash is yet another in the long history of fatal accidents that can be attributed to product failures of the Robinson R44 Helicopter.
Witnesses To Alaska Super Cub Seaplane Accident On Crescent Lake May Be Critical To Determining Cause
If there were a problem during takeoff or landing on Crescent Lake, we would normally expect the seaplane to stay afloat, but this did not happen.
Steamboat Springs C-421 Accident Has Signatures Of Aircraft/Engine Issues
Based upon the available facts known to date, including the flight data information, it appears that N245T suffered some type of mechanical problems which affected operation of at least one of the engines.
Two Pilots Die in Whidbey Island Crash
On November 11, 2020, a Cessna 177 RG, with tail number N34633, lost engine power and collided with trees near the runway at Whidbey Airpark (W10), in Langley, Washington. Tragically, the two pilots on board were killed in the collision. Aviation Law Group is...
Another Seaplane Accident
While a majority of seaplane activity occurs in the Northwest and Alaska, the rest of the country still experiences fatal seaplane accidents. That is just what occurred on October 4, 2020, in Queens New York. The Cessna 182 seaplane was moving fast and apparently...
Indian B738 Crashes Killing 18
Tragedy struck the Kozhikode as a B738 overran the runway over the weekend. Indian social media was quick to call the pilot a decorated hero who saved an aircraft with damaged gear and low fuel. However, as the investigation continues, it looks like none of the above...
Who’s At Fault For Mid-Air Collisions?
Introduction In this age of modern aviation technology and reduced flight traffic due to COVID, the recent spike in midair collisions, including three accidents in July, leaves many wondering why do mid-air accidents still happen, and who’s responsible for them....
7 killed in a mid-Air collision in Alaska including a member of the State Legislature.
In three weeks, there have been three deadly mid-air collisions between commercial operators and general aviation aircraft. It is an unprecedented series of avoidable accidents in a year where the FAA mandated technology that should make this less common. The accident...
4 Killed in Utah Mountainous Terrain Crash
The 4th of July holiday weekend is one of the busier times of the year for general aviation. Unfortunately, this also means that there are often tragedies that mar the festivities. In this case, a Cessna 172 that was rented from a Salt Lake and Spanish Fork-based...
8 Feared Dead in Midair Crash over Coeur d’Alene
Local witnesses and pilots report that it was a direct collision between Coeur d'Alene-based scenic floatplane operator Brooks Seaplane in a Beaver and an unidentified general aviation Cessna 206 out of Lewiston. Aviation Law Group has handled many seaplane accidents...
Seaplane Crashes in Lake Washington
Wednesday evening was punctuated by a seaplane crash in Lake Washington. The two occupants were rescued by a private boat and are reported to be uninjured. The cause is to be determined. This accident happend within hearshot of Bob's front yard. He went to...
Glider Tow Plane Crash in Hawaii
Dillingham Airfield on the north shore of Oahu suffered a second deadly air crash by a commercial operation within a year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5qvWvWp9tQ The Cessna 305A crashed shortly after takeoff from the field. The aircraft is a tow plane for...
Two charter crashes in two days of Alaska aviation
Last week was marred by two crashes of part 135 operators in Alaska - one minor and one tragic. On February 5th, the first incident was lost of control during the take-off of a Cessna 208 in Hooper Bay. The aircraft was operated by Grant Aviation and there were no...
Kobe Bryant’s accident was entirely avoidable
A Sikorsky S-76 that was operated by Island Express Helicopters (the operators took down their website shortly after the crash) crashed this morning in Calabasas, California killing 9 people. While there will be an FAA investigation, the abundance of evidence suggests...
A bad year for Hawaii Scenic Flights – 7 killed in Kauai
The day after Christmas was marred by the third commercial helicopter crash in Hawaii this year. Following a day-long search for the Safari Helicopter operated tour, the crash site was found with the remains of the 7 perished occupants. Rough Terrain of Kauai These...
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.