Two Killed in Airplane Crash in Odessa, Florida
Airplane crash cases for single engine fixed wing aircraft reached a historic low of 6.32 accidents for 100,000 flight hours in 2006. The cause of these accidents is generally divided into three groups: pilot-related; mechanical/maintenance; and other/unknown – such as pilot incapacitation and those for which a specific cause could not be determined.
It would be hard to determine which category this case should fall into as there were several possible explanations for this airplane crash.
On a February evening at approximately 7:20 p.m., two friends were flying a Mooney M20J single engine plane near Odessa, Florida. As they approached the airport, they ran into telephone electrical wires and, after hitting the power lines, the plane hit some trees and slammed upside down into the ground while on final approach to the runway at the airport, killing both men.
Richard D. Schuler and Jason D. Weisser were contacted by the widow of one of the men killed in this accident, who requested that they represent her and the deceased’s four children in this wrongful death action. The couple had been married for approximately 20 years prior to the husband’s death, had three children from their marriage, and the husband had a son from a prior marriage, all of whom were understandably devastated by his loss and having a difficult time coping.
After an extensive and thorough investigation into all of the facts surrounding this case, the lawsuit filed named the power company, the airport, the aviation company assisting in the landing of the aircraft at the airport at the time of this incident, the manufacturer and the distributor of the altimeter in the aircraft at the time of this incident, and the company that repaired and overhauled the altimeter in the aircraft just prior to the time of this incident as defendants in this matter.
It was learned that as early as 1978, this airport was warned by the Florida Department of
Transportation inspector that there were certain hazards in the approach slope to Runway 26, the runway where this crash ultimately occurred. Specifically, it was pointed out that two power poles and their lines protruded above the maximum 20-1 slope required by Florida Statutes. It was indicated in correspondence dated June 15, 1978 that: “The power lines between the poles are particularly dangerous since they are difficult to see from aircraft. ….We urge you to have the wire and poles which constitute navigation hazards removed at the earliest possible time.”
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