Most passengers probably aren’t aware of the sheer number of elements that go into a successful flight. From the pilot to the maintenance crews, any number of things have to be checked and approved before the flight even leaves the ground.
To avoid accidents, airplanes have several instruments and parts that are in place to ensure a safe flight. Flight control systems, navigation, radar, and emergency systems are all there to make sure that the flight crew can control the airplane. Still, when these instruments fail, it can jeopardize the safety of everyone onboard.
Experienced California Airplane Accident Lawyers
In difficult times like airplane accidents, knowing your options is essential. At Maison Law, our team of experienced California airplane accident lawyers can help.
We have the knowledge and dedication to handle airplane accident claims, and can make sure that you and your family receive the financial and legal support you need to move forward. Dealing with airplane accidents can be challenging, but with our team’s help, you’ll receive the care and guidance you deserve. Contact us for a free consultation to learn more.
What Instruments Do Airplanes Have To Avoid Accidents in California?
Because airplane accidents are often so devastating, there are a number of failsafes and instruments built into the actual aircraft that are designed to help the pilot and the rest of the crew avoid–or at least circumvent–potential accidents. While every plane is built somewhat differently, most have the following instruments built in:
- Flight control surfaces – These are essential for controlling the aircraft’s direction and attitude, including ailerons, elevators, and rudders, which are operated by the pilot.
- Airspeed indicator – This instrument displays the aircraft’s current airspeed, crucial for safe flight and avoiding stalls.
- Altitude indicator (Altimeter) – An altimeter indicates the aircraft’s altitude above sea level, helping prevent collisions with terrain.
- Heading indicator (Compass or Gyrocompass) – This instrument shows the aircraft’s heading for accurate navigation and collision avoidance.
- Attitude indicator (Artificial horizon) – This provides the aircraft’s orientation relative to the horizon, ensuring proper pitch and roll angles.
- Turn and bank indicator – This instrument informs the pilot about the rate of turn and bank angle for coordinated turns and spin avoidance.
- Navigation systems – These include GPS, VOR, and ILS, aiding in precise navigation and safe approaches and landings.
- Weather radar – This system detects and helps navigate around hazardous weather conditions, such as thunderstorms and turbulence.
- Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) – TCAS prevents mid-air collisions by alerting pilots and providing instructions when another aircraft is nearby.
- Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) – TAWS alerts pilots to potential ground or obstacle collisions during takeoff, landing, or low-altitude flight.
- Auto-pilot – While not a replacement for pilot control, auto-pilot systems assist in maintaining stable flight and reducing pilot workload.
- Emergency equipment – Aircraft are equipped with various emergency systems, including fire suppression, oxygen masks, and life vests, to handle unforeseen situations.
Again, certain manufacturers and models of the airplane may or may not have all of this equipment built into it. That said, most, if not all, airplanes have some form of these instruments in place to help the pilot and crew avoid accidents. However, while all of these instruments are in place to some extent, when they don’t work properly or outright fail, it frequently leads to accidents.
How Can Airplane Instruments Fail and Cause Accidents in California?
When there’s an airplane accident, there is always some underlying cause. Unfortunately, most airplane accidents in California involve any number of malfunctions. The fact is, it takes many moving parts working together and in sync to have a successful, safe flight. Just like anywhere else, when these instruments and aids fail, it can lead to accidents in California. Typically, this happens in the following ways:
- Instrument malfunction – Like any mechanical or electronic device, airplane instruments can malfunction due to manufacturing defects, wear and tear, or electrical failures. If a critical instrument, such as the altimeter or airspeed indicator, fails to provide accurate information, the pilot may make incorrect decisions, leading to accidents.
- Instrument calibration errors – Instruments need to be regularly calibrated to ensure accuracy. If calibration is not performed correctly, or if instruments are not maintained properly, they may provide inaccurate readings, which can mislead the pilot and lead to accidents.
- Environmental factors – Harsh weather conditions, such as extreme cold, heat, or moisture, can affect the performance of instruments. Ice formation on instruments like pitot tubes can disrupt airspeed readings, while extreme heat can cause electronic components to overheat and fail.
- Electrical failures – Electrical failures in the aircraft’s electrical system can disrupt the functioning of various instruments. If critical instruments like the attitude indicator or navigation systems fail due to electrical issues, the pilot may lose essential situational awareness.
- Bird strikes – In California, as in many other regions, bird strikes can occur, leading to damage to the aircraft’s exterior, including instruments like radars or sensors. These damages can affect the aircraft’s ability to navigate safely.
- Instrument misinterpretation – Even when instruments are functioning correctly, pilots can misinterpret the data if they are not adequately trained or experienced. Misinterpretation can lead to incorrect decisions and potentially accidents.
- Instrumentation confusion or inexperience – Some aircraft have complex instrumentation systems, and a pilot’s ability to manage multiple instruments simultaneously is crucial. Instrumentation confusion, where a pilot becomes overwhelmed by the data or mismanages the instruments, can lead to accidents.
- Outages – In rare cases, multiple instrument failures or a complete electrical failure can result in a temporary loss of critical instrumentation. This can be particularly dangerous in low-visibility conditions or when flying in challenging terrain.
With so many different potential malfunctions, it can be difficult to pinpoint the underlying cause of an airplane accident. Still, by working with our team of experienced California airplane accident lawyers, we can work with regulatory authorities to gather documentation and accident reports to help you figure out who–or what–was responsible for your accident.
What is the Legal Process After a California Airplane Accident?
Although an airplane accident is unique in terms of its different causes and overall environment, it’s ultimately viewed like any other accident in California in terms of liability and your legal options. When you’ve been injured or lose a loved one in a fatal airplane crash, you have the right to file a claim for damages against the responsible party. Still, these claims can be complex. That’s why it’s important to understand what the process looks like. Generally, it starts with figuring out liability, then proceeding with the claims process to recover damages.
Liability
Figuring out ultimate responsibility in an airplane accident depends on the circumstances, but is determined by the concept of negligence. Negligence, in legal terms, refers to:
- A person or entity’s duty to act in a reasonable way or under reasonable conditions that keep others safe.
In instances where there was instrumentation failure, any number of parties could potentially be liable, like:
- The pilot or copilot
- The manufacturer of the airplane
- The manufacturer of the instrument that failed
- The airline
- The airport or air traffic controller
Claims Process
Once you have narrowed down the liable parties, you can proceed with filing a claim against them. California law holds that you have two years from the date of the accident to file a claim, known as the statute of limitations. As long as you file within the two-year period, you can pursue damages. Typically, the process begins with an insurance claim against the at-fault party, then, depending on the result there, moves to a personal injury lawsuit.
Damages
Legally speaking, damages refer to your losses that happen because of an accident. In practical terms, this could be things that result from your injuries–or worse, the loss of a loved one if the accident was fatal. Depending on the circumstances of your particular accident, you can recover the following in an injury claim:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life or companionship
- Wrongful death damages, like funeral or burial expenses
- Punitive damages, in cases where the at-fault party was excessively negligent.
Filing a claim after an airplane accident can be confusing and overwhelming. You need to identify the responsible parties and gather evidence, which can take time and effort. If you’re injured, you may not be up to the task. That’s where we can help.
Let Maison Law Help You After an Airplane Accident
At Maison Law, our team of California airplane accident lawyers has a proven track record of success in helping our clients navigate the claims process to get the financial support they deserve. We will handle the day-to-day tasks of your claim, so you can focus on your recovery.
If you have been injured in an airplane accident, contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you.
