On March 22, 2014, a plane leaving from Gadsden, Alabama headed for the Montrose Regional Airport in Montrose, Colorado crashed into a reservoir in Ridgway, Colorado, killing five people between the ages of eight and 48. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report on April 3, 2014 on the Alabama airplane accident. These reports are usually filed within 10 days of a crash, but the final report that typically determines the cause of an accident may take up to one year to compile. After the plane was recovered from the reservoir on March 27, 2014, the NTSB took possession of the wreckage.
Contact Attorney Group for Alabama today if you or a loved one is injured or killed in an Alabama airplane crash. We can connect you with an affiliated airplane accident attorney who can file your Alabama airplane crash lawsuit and assist you throughout the legal process.
Report Released for Alabama Airplane Crash
In the Alabama airplane crash report, NTSB investigators claim that the plane, a fixed-wing, single-engine craft, went down in the Ridgway Reservoir, coming to rest in nearly 70 feet of water. Registered to Gadsden Aviation LLC, the pilot’s company, the aircraft was listed as flying on a personal flight.
Around 11 a.m. earlier that day, the plane touched down at Bartlesville Municipal Airport in Oklahoma. The investigation has led officials to believe that the pilot was flying in accordance with an instrument flight rules flight plan, according to the report. A spokesman for the NTSB said that, in such a flight, pilots remain in contact with air traffic controllers after filing their flight plans. The controllers provide the pilots with directions, altitude and speed instructions.
The Alabama airplane crash report also states that the pilot had just been cleared to approach his destination when he advised the air traffic controller that he was attempting to recover the craft from a spin. A witness described how the plane flew around the reservoir for several minutes before it finally spun in. According to the report, radio communications and radar contact were subsequently lost, and local authorities located the airplane in the Ridgway Reservoir after being notified by air traffic control.
NTSB investigators will reportedly examine what the agency refers to as “man, machine and environment” for its final report. “Man” refers to the pilot and his training, experience, possible medical issues, flight background and health. “Machine” means the plane and any related maintenance issues prior to the accident, whether any key equipment is missing, its maintenance history and the plane itself including any recording devices. Investigators will also analyze the environment and the effect that it might have had on the crash. The temperature hovered around 41 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind speed of 10 miles per hour and a light rain.
No matter how safe an aircraft, there is always the potential for something to go wrong with even the most routine of flights. This is why it is important to seek legal counsel if you or someone you love has been involved in an Alabama airplane crash. In many cases, you may be eligible to work with an airplane accident attorney and seek compensation from more than one party. An airplane accident attorney can also assist you in filing a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of a deceased family member if his her or death was caused by the negligence of another.
Injured in an Alabama Airplane Crash? You Need an Airplane Accident Attorney
If you or someone you love was injured or killed in an Alabama airplane crash, consider seeking legal counsel from an airplane accident attorney. Attorney Group for Alabama provides free, no-obligation consultations to those who feel they have a valid claim. After reviewing your case, we can connect you with an affiliated airplane accident attorney who can handle your Alabama airplane crash lawsuit and work to help you seek the compensation to which you may be entitled.
