A private plane pilot and his passenger survived a weekend crash with no major injuries, according to local reports. The plane began to go down after the engine failed, leaving the pair a limited amount of time to devise a plan to deal with the situation.
Plane crashes can be devastating in certain conditions, so it is up to those who choose to fly smaller private plans to be sure that their equipment is working properly and to have proper training to handle an emergency situation. In this case the pilot of the plane was trained as a professional pilot and had four decades of in-flight experience behind him. He told reporters that he stayed calm and looked at his options when he realized that the engine of the plane had failed. Quickly surveying the area they were approaching, the pilot made the decision to land somewhere he thought would be highly visible to bystanders who could call for help, and guided the plane to land near a cluster of boats.
There are a variety of legal issues that can arise when people choose to travel by small private plane and an accident occurs. One central issue is whether the person in control of the plane at the time of the accident was exercising proper care and taking reasonable efforts to make sure that the aircraft was safe before takeoff. While in flight, making sure that conditions are safe and keeping a close eye on key indicators is also crucial to preventing an accident.
Source: ABC News, “2 Survive Small-Plane Crash off California Coast,” Christopher Weber, Jan. 5, 2013.
