Aviation Accident Attorneys
Undefeated Airplane and Helicopter Crash Lawyers
Fatal airplane and helicopter crashes reached their highest levels in nearly a decade in 2025, claiming nearly 550 lives worldwide, with the majority in the United States. These tragedies are not just limited to private or recreational aircraft. Crashes and near misses involving major commercial airlines, cargo carriers, and aircraft manufacturers are also increasing, proving that even the most advanced aviation systems can fail when safety standards are ignored or corners are cut.
With today’s technology, training requirements, and safety protocols, many of these crashes should never happen. When they do, families and survivors have the right to hold the responsible individuals or companies fully accountable — and they should. Pursuing that accountability not only seeks justice for your loved ones but also helps prevent the same mistakes from endangering others in the future.
Our Airplane and Helicopter Accident Lawyers have won Billions and repeatedly recovered the largest verdicts and settlements for airplane and helicopter crash victims across the United States.
With a commercial pilot on staff, we have a unique understanding of what evidence to look for, how to prove that the pilot or owner was at fault, and, most importantly, what it takes to ensure that our client and their family are fully compensated for all their injuries and losses.
If you or a loved one were involved in an airplane or helicopter crash, contact our Undefeated Aviation Accident Lawyers for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by clicking here.
Airplane Accidents and the FAA
After a plane or jet crash, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), will begin their investigation to determine what went wrong and how similar incidents can be avoided in the future.
The truth is, FAA research shows that most aviation accidents ultimately come down to human error. Between 60% and 80% of all aviation accidents involve pilot or crew mistakes, whether due to misjudgment, fatigue, improper procedures, or loss of situational awareness.
If you or a loved one were involved in an aviation accident, it’s critical that you talk to an experienced airplane crash attorney as soon as possible to ensure that important evidence and flight information is preserved.
Common Aviation Crashes: What to Know
In 2025, the United States recorded 140 fatal airplane crashes and at least 120 additional plane crashes resulting in serious injuries. According to available NTSB crash data, this accounted for roughly 65% of all fatal plane crashes worldwide. Hundreds more serious crashes involved small personal aircraft and helicopters.
These aviation accidents are not isolated or rare events, and they don’t unfold at major airport hubs. They occur in rural communities, at regional airports, and over cities and neighborhoods where people never expect tragedy to strike.
Below are the most common categories of aviation crashes, along with what passengers, families, and the public should know.
Private Plane Accidents
Private and general aviation flights account for a disproportionate share of serious and fatal aviation crashes in the United States — and 2025 was a particularly deadly year for private aviation.
In January, a medical flight crashed into a residential neighborhood, killing eight and injuring 23. In May, a Cessna Citation II went down in San Diego, claiming the lives of six onboard, including a rock drummer and music agent. And just recently, in January 2026, a private plane crash in Bangor, Maine claimed six lives during severe weather conditions, devastating the Houston community where many of the passengers and crew were based.
While investigations into these incidents are ongoing, they serve as a stark reminder of how quickly routine travel can turn catastrophic and how private aircraft are often more vulnerable to weather conditions, mechanical failures, and pilot decision-making. Many private flights also operate without the layers of oversight, redundancy, and safety systems required of commercial airlines.
Commercial Passenger Flights
Although commercial airline travel remains one of the safest forms of transportation, recent incidents have brought renewed concern as the industry faces mounting pressures — including staffing shortages, aging aircraft fleets, increased turbulence linked to climate change, and serious lapses in maintenance or safety oversight.
In January 2025, a midair collision between a military helicopter and a regional passenger jet operated by American Airlines tragically killed 67 people in Washington D.C. Following a yearlong investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board recently attributed the deadly crash to deep, systemic failures. Investigators cited breakdowns in coordination, oversight, and safety protocols, all of which were preventable.
Commercial Cargo Flights
Cargo aircraft operate under different conditions than passenger flights, often flying overnight, on tight schedules, and with fewer onboard crew members. Despite carrying fewer people, cargo plane crashes can be just as deadly — particularly when they occur near populated areas.
In November 2025, for instance, a UPS cargo plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, killing three crew members and 12 people on the ground. According to a preliminary investigation report, a catastrophic mechanical failure occurred during takeoff, raising critical questions about aircraft design, inspection protocols, and whether known mechanical risks were adequately addressed before the plane ever left the runway.
Helicopter Crashes
Helicopters are widely used for medical transport, military operations, law enforcement, offshore work, and corporate travel — often flying at lower altitudes and in more complex environments. As a result, helicopter crashes remain a persistent and serious safety concern, resulting in dozens of fatalities and serious injuries in 2025.
Many still remember the 2018 New York City sightseeing helicopter crash, in which a Eurocopter suffered a catastrophic engine failure. The crash tragically claimed the lives of five passengers, leaving the pilot as the sole survivor. The tour operator had previously faced scrutiny for its safety practices, including two other crashes in the preceding 11 years.
Common Causes of Plane Crashes
Our Undefeated Airplane Accident Lawyers have successfully represented hundreds of plane crash victims in connection with some of the most severe private and commercial jet crashes in recent history.
Despite the FAA and NTSB’s efforts to reduce pilot error and improve passenger safety, avoidable accidents still occur at an alarmingly high rate. These crashes, which are often caused by pilot error or manufacturing defects, are very difficult (and expensive) to prove, which is why it’s so critical that you consult with an attorney who has the experience and resources needed to hold the companies and pilots accountable.
Some common causes of airplane crashes include:
Design Defects
Design defects occur when an aircraft or one of its component parts is inherently unsafe and unable to withstand the normal stresses of flight, including takeoff, landing, turbulence, or pressurization. These failures may involve engines, flight control systems, avionics, structural components, or defective software, and are often compounded by inadequate testing or certification.
Negligent Maintenance and Inspection Failures
Airplanes and helicopters require rigorous, routine maintenance to remain airworthy. Negligent maintenance occurs when required inspections are skipped, worn or defective parts are not repaired or replaced, maintenance records are falsified or incomplete, or mechanics lack proper training or supervision.
Pilot and Crew Error
Pilot and crew error remains one of the leading causes of airplane crashes, particularly in private and charter aviation. These incidents may involve inadequate training or certification, inexperience with the aircraft, poor decision-making, loss of control, fatigue, intoxication or impairment, or mismanagement of fuel levels — including fuel exhaustion or fuel starvation.
Air Traffic Control Errors
Air traffic control negligence occurs when controllers fail to maintain safe separation between aircraft, issue incorrect or incomplete instructions, or contribute to runway incursions through miscommunication. Staffing shortages, fatigue, and systemic failures have increasingly been cited in investigations of near-miss incidents and crashes across the U.S.
Weather-Related Decision-Making Failures
While weather itself does not cause crashes, flying into known dangerous conditions can be deadly. These cases often involve failures to delay, reroute, or cancel flights despite severe storms, icing conditions, or heavy turbulence, as well as inadequate weather briefings or risk assessments.
Safety Violations by Airlines or Charter Operators
Some crashes stem from airlines or charter operators placing profits over safety. These violations may include ignoring FAA regulations, pressuring pilots to fly despite mechanical or weather concerns, providing inadequate training, or failing to ground aircraft with known safety issues.
How Zehl & Associates Can Help After a Plane or Helicopter Crash
When an airplane or helicopter crash takes a life or causes serious injury, families are left searching for answers — often while facing overwhelming grief, uncertainty, and financial pressure. Aviation investigations are complex, highly technical, and frequently involve powerful airlines, manufacturers, insurers, and government agencies.
At Zehl & Associates, we stand with families from day one. Our aviation accident lawyers conduct an independent, comprehensive investigation into every possible cause of the crash, including:
- Pilot error, fatigue, impairment, or inadequate training
- Mechanical failures and defective aircraft components
- Improper maintenance, inspection, or repair practices
- Aircraft design or manufacturing defects
- Airline, charter operator, or owner negligence
- Air traffic control errors or systemic failures
- Weather-related decision-making and risk management
- Violations of FAA or federal aviation safety regulations
With a commercial pilot on staff, our team brings inside knowledge of aviation operations, allowing us to identify critical failures, preserve essential evidence, and hold all responsible parties fully accountable.
Most importantly, we never lose sight of what matters most: helping families secure answers, accountability, and the financial resources they need to move forward after an unthinkable loss.
Aviation Crash: Our Unwavering Commitment to Clients in Action
One client came to Zehl & Associates after surviving a devastating plane crash. From the very first meeting, we coordinated care with leading psychiatrists, neurologists, physical therapists, and physicians, ensuring their medical needs were fully addressed while we launched a meticulous, independent investigation. We prepared for a complex deposition, guided the client through every legal step, and built a trial-ready case from day one — ultimately securing a record-setting recovery that far exceeded expectations, despite multiple companies trying to avoid responsibility.
As our client later said: “Zehl & Associates was right by my side. They treat you like family and are always there to answer any questions or concern.”
Undefeated Texas Airplane Crash Lawyers with Billions Won: 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one were involved in an Aviation Accident, Contact our Undefeated Aviation Lawyers at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
We’ll answer your questions, explain your rights, and provide you with the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay us a dime unless we win your case.
FAQs
Aviation accidents are rarely caused by a single mistake or individual. In many cases, responsibility extends across multiple companies and decision-makers — all of whom may be held accountable when safety failures cost lives.
Depending on the findings of the investigation, liable parties may include:
- Aircraft designer or manufacturer
- Designer or manufacturer of a specific aircraft component
- Maintenance or repair provider
- Aircraft owner or operator
- Pilot or flight crew
- Air traffic control or other government entities
Responsibility for a crash often traces back to failures in design, manufacturing, maintenance, training, oversight, or airspace management. At Zehl & Associates, we look beyond surface explanations and conduct an independent investigation into every possible cause, ensuring no responsible party escapes accountability.
The compensation available after an aviation accident depends not only on the severity of the injuries or loss — but on the experience, resources, and willingness of the lawyer you hire to take on the most powerful defendants in the world and prepare the case for trial.
At Zehl & Associates, we work closely with leading experts to fully document both the economic and human losses involved — and we pursue compensation that reflects the true impact of the tragedy, not just what insurers are willing to offer.
The damages available after an aviation accident depend on whether the claim involves serious injury or wrongful death.
In a personal injury aviation accident claim, compensation may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and loss of earning capacity
- Physical impairment or limitations
- Disfigurement
- Physical pain and suffering
Mental anguish and emotional distress
In wrongful death cases, the focus shifts to the profound losses suffered by surviving family members. Compensation may include:
- Medical expenses related to the incident
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of the deceased’s financial support and benefits
- Loss of companionship, care, and guidance
- Mental anguish and emotional suffering
Aviation accident cases are among the most complex personal injury cases in the country. Because they often involve federal investigations, technical evidence, multiple defendants, and aggressive defense teams, these cases typically take longer than standard injury claims.
Some cases resolve in months. Others may take several years — particularly when manufacturers, airlines, or government entities are involved. At Zehl & Associates, we prepare every aviation case for trial from day one. That preparation not only strengthens the case, but often pressures defendants to resolve claims sooner rather than face a jury.
We keep our clients informed at every stage and move the case forward as efficiently as possible — without ever sacrificing results.
There is no “typical” settlement amount for an aviation accident. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on factors such as:
- The severity of the injuries or loss of life
- The number of responsible parties
- The availability of insurance or corporate assets
- The strength of the evidence
- Whether the case proceeds to trial
Aviation accident settlements can range from significant recoveries to record-setting verdicts. What matters most is having a legal team with the experience, resources, and willingness to take the case all the way to trial if necessary. At Zehl & Associates, we do not settle for less than what our clients and their families truly deserve.
International aviation accidents present additional legal challenges, including foreign laws, international treaties, and jurisdictional issues. These cases may involve the Montreal Convention, foreign airlines, international manufacturers, or crashes occurring in international airspace.
Zehl & Associates has the experience and global resources necessary to handle complex international aviation claims. We work with international experts and investigators to determine where and how claims should be filed — and we fight to ensure families are not denied justice simply because the crash occurred beyond U.S. borders.