A small plane crashed late last month off of Highway 25 in California and investigators are still seeking the reason for the crash. The pilot experienced some minor injuries but is not reported to be in critical condition. There was one other person in the plane at the time and that person was apparently not injured during the crash. Witnesses said that trouble began just after takeoff when the plane seemed to lose power in its only engine, causing it to begin to descend from the approximately 300 feet it had climbed. Others nearby who were tuned to the correct radio frequency said that they heard a mayday call about 10 or 15 seconds after the plane took off.
When a plane accident occurs it can be difficult to know right away what happened and why. Sometimes accidents are caused by an error on the part of the pilot, but other times it can be the result of failing machinery. People who are injured as a result of defective airplane parts do have a right to seek compensation for their injuries.
Here in California recreational flying can be a popular activity when the weather is nice and calm. Unfortunately this also means that aviation accidents also occur occasionally. In the Central Coast area, for example, there have been three plane crashes since 2011 resulting in five fatalities.
In this most recent crash the plane sustained significant damage upon impact, including losing one of the wheels and having a portion of the body of the plane break off.
Source: KSBW, “NTSB investigates Hollister plane crash,” Tom Miller, Feb. 24, 2014.
