Articles Posted in Aviation Accident

A car accident that causes serious injury and death is never good news. Still, high profile accidents can help bring attention to important issues of public safety. This is certainly true for the recent accident in New Jersey that left one comedian dead and seriously injured others, including Tracy Morgan-well-known former cast member of “Saturday Night Live” and supporting actor in the sitcom, “30 Rock.”

In the aftermath of this accident, which left Mr. Morgan with numerous broken bones and in intensive care, prosecutors filed a criminal complaint against the driver of a Wal-Mart truck. According to the complaint, when the truck smashed into Mr. Morgan’s limo, its driver had been awake for over 24 hours. And since this accident, numerous national media outlets-including The New York Times, Forbes, and The Huffington Post-have shed much-needed light on the scourge of drowsy driving.

A Common Problem

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving is responsible for over 100,000 car accidents every year, which lead to 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths. Perhaps even more shockingly, a 2002 report by the same agency revealed that over 1/3 of all drivers nod off or fall asleep at least once behind the wheel at some point in their driving careers.
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Last weekend, three people were injured when two powered-parachute aircraft collided in midair near the town of Franklin, Illinois. According to preliminary reports, the aviation accident occurred at relatively low altitude, while the aircraft were being used for a fly-in event. Representatives from the Morgan County Sherriff’s Department stated that the two pilots were taken to Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville, but no information on the third victim was available. (Journal Courier)

Fatalities on U.S. airliners are rare, but injuries associated with these incidents can be particularly gruesome. More than nine million flights take off every year in our country, and despite this massive number, only five deadly accidents have occurred since 2008. Statistically speaking, smaller aircraft and private aviators are much more likely than commercial airliners to be killed or injured while in flight. These smaller crafts are much more susceptible to weather and mechanical issues, and often have less experienced pilots in the cockpit. For this reason, even minor problems can have large implications. There are a multitude of different factors that can lead to an aircraft accident, but some of the most common factors include: (USA Today)

• Faulty equipment

A plane crash near Joliet, Illinois resulted in two fatalities. A burned aircraft also resulted from the plane crash. The police responded to the plane crash but were unable to immediately determine whether the plane crash occurred as a result of a fire or vice versa. They also still have no idea whether the plane was taking off or landing when it crashed. Witnesses said the plane was approaching a runway when it appeared to burst into fames and then crashed. To read the full story, click here.