On August 19, 2019, a plane that had just taken off from New Castle County Airport crashed into the woods near Churchman’s Road, in Newark, Delaware. Both men occupying the 1965 Beech Baron twin-engine plane were pronounced dead. Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) reported that the pilot immediately notified the air-traffic control tower of an urgent need to return to the airport shortly after takeoff.
[Photos from Aircraft Case Attorneys at Kimmel Carter Handled]
Although the cause of this horrific tragedy is still being investigated (and is unknown to the public), twin-engine Beech Baron Airplanes oftentimes have fuel-related problems. For an aircraft that has a reputation of a simple fueling system, far too many crashes involve mismanagement of the fuel system and fuel selectors. It is not a coincidence that many of these crashes involving the Beech Baron aircraft occur shortly after takeoff. In a separate recent crash, the pilot of Beech BE33 model into a backyard, but the plane violently slid through multiple properties before colliding with a shed. All passengers were killed in the crash landing.
Determining fault in these crashes can be challenging, as oftentimes the evidence is burned and destroyed. Through thorough investigations usually help uncover whether the crash resulted from error, pilot decision making, limited fuel, defective products, or even an act of God. Limited insurance coverage can also be problematic. Occasionally, a the pilot carries more liability insurance on his or her car than he or she does on the airplane. In some cases, aircraft mechanics carry little or no insurance. The lawyers at Kimmel Carter know that some of the most challenging cases arise in small aircraft crashes. This year Kimmel Carter partners, Larry Kimmel and Bill Peltz, worked together on a case involving a Beech Baron Aircraft. As mentioned above, small aircraft crashes can be so significant that most evidence is burned, destroyed, or lost within the wreckage. Larry Kimmel and Bill Peltz were able to prove that a faulty fuel gauge was the culprit in the plane’s malfunction. Experts also determined that the refueler did not properly fill all of the fuel tanks. The pilot was “distracted” during the pre-flight inspection and did not check to make sure the fuel tanks were filled prior to taking off from New Castle airport. Larry Kimmel and Bill Peltz were able to settle the case for an injured passenger for $840,000. In event of a small plane or aircraft crash, hire an experienced attorney from Kimmel Carter to assist with your case.
