Aviation Law

For the average person, plane flights are certainly more common than helicopter flights. Many people have flown on airliners multiple times, for example, even if they have never been in a helicopter in their lives. This may contribute to the perception that...

Aviation is commonly referred to as one of the safest ways to travel. On a grand scale, that is certainly still true. There are far more risks for those who are simply driving their personal vehicles than for those who are flying on planes. That being said, some...

When a major aviation incident makes headlines, public attention often focuses on what happened in the air. Less visible, but equally significant, are the legal and regulatory processes that begin immediately afterward. These events can trigger complex investigations...

When an aircraft accident or serious incident happens, two federal agencies usually step in. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) both respond, but they have very different jobs. Knowing how they work can help...

After an aviation accident, identifying the cause of the accident and the potentially responsible parties is important. Even those who have been accused of being involved may argue that they were not actually liable, so understanding this level of responsibility is...

If you have been following aviation accident news over the last year, there have been some high-profile incidents. For example, a regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the Potomac River last year. Accidents like these draw national...

While airline crashes still make headlines when they occur, the fact is that the airline industry is not just safe — it’s getting safer. According to a professor and safety researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), “Aviation safety continues to...

Aviation incidents can be the result of operator error. They can also occur due to issues with the airplane itself. Sometimes, the issue that leads to an aviation incident begins with a defective airplane component. Components that fail during airplane operation can...

Many people travel around the world on airplanes, but they may not have ever thought about what will happen if they suffer an in-flight injury. In the United States, federal law applies from the time that aircraft doors close until they open again. But does this...

Buying or leasing an aircraft costs a lot of money. The agreements include detailed terms and often involve international rules. If one party breaks the deal—such as delivering a damaged aircraft, failing to make payments or ignoring maintenance rules—problems can...