According to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) spokesman, the exact cause of a single-engine plane accident that recently occurred at Greenwood Lake Airport in West Milford, New Jersey is still under investigation. A NorthJersey.com article reports that the small plane’s pilot, a 49-year-old man, broke both of his legs and a 51-year-old passenger sustained injuries to his face. Both men were transported to Morristown Memorial hospital after the plane crashed at approximately 10:10 a.m.
It may take months to determine what caused the plane to crash at the public-use airport owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Authorities are expected to examine what took place when the plane was coming down and why the accident occurred. In saying that it is too soon to know the cause of the crash, the NTSB spokesman said that the agency may release a “preliminary report” evaluating some potential causes. At the time of the article’s release, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that an update on the cause of the plane crash was not available and that the FAA is taking part in the investigation being led by the NTSB.
While the cause of this small plane crash has yet to be determined, aviation accidents involving commercial jetliners, ambulance helicopters, charter planes, government planes, small planes, private planes, and other aircraft may be caused by poor aircraft maintenance, defective plane equipment, air traffic controller error, pilot error, crew fatigue or intoxication, and factors related to weather conditions.
As this particular plane crash demonstrates, those fortunate enough to survive an aviation disaster may suffer serious injury. If an investigation determines that there was negligence or defects in the design or manufacture of the aircraft that contributed to an accident, injured individuals and/or their family members may seek compensation for unpaid medical bills, physical pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life, lost wages, and, in some cases, wrongful death damages.. The New Jersey plane crash lawyers at Blume Forte have significant experience successfully handling aviation negligence cases. Call us at 973-845-4421 for a no-cost consultation and evaluation of your potential aviation accident claim.