Two airplanes crashed into each other late last month in California resulting in one fatality. A Cessna 210E, N4962U and a Hawker Sea Fury, N20SF were involved in the collision. Preliminary reports suggest that the Cessna was destroyed in the collision and crashed into San Pablo Bay while a passenger and commercial pilot in the Sea Fury were not injured.
Both planes had departed from Half Moon Bay and were traveling to Eagle’s Nest Airport in Ione, California. The planes were to be displayed at Half Moon Bay for an open house. The pilots of each plane were said to be in contact with each other while conducting a photo shoot. Though the Sea Fury pilot stated he thought there would be adequate separation between the two planes, the two nevertheless did collide. The pilot then saw the Cessna going down and in an inverted position.
The Sea Fury was inspected and did have signs of damage that presumably came about due to the crash. The Cessna wreckage was not located until a few days later. Only the fuselage and engine were recovered as the left-wing and propeller apparently separated from the rest of the plane.
It’s difficult as yet to determine what precisely occurred or whether any party’s negligence led to the aviation accident. There are many possible causes for airplane crashes including pilot air, faulty or poorly maintained equipment, a violation of safety regulations, mistakes by traffic controllers, etc. Personal injury attorneys accustomed to representing individuals injured in such crashes will have the resources available to garner the resources to thoroughly investigate the accident and make a determination as to what occurred.
It’s important to learn the causes of such accidents so that these can be avoided in the future.
Source: KTVU, “Preliminary NTSB report on San Pablo Bay plane collision,” May 9, 2014
