U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes in Utah's Uinta Mountain Range

Rescue crews report that the crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter are fortunate to have survived the Utah helicopter crash that occurred Wednesday, March 3, 2010 near Silver Meadows Lake in Wasatch County. Deseret News reports that this MH-60T Jay Hawk helicopter and another Coast Guard helicopter were returning to North Carolina from the state of Washington where they had been deployed as part of a joint U.S.-Canadian operation for recent 2010 Winter Olympic Games held in Canada.

Utah’s Mountainside make for a Difficult Rescue

The helicopter accident victims were able to get cell phone coverage to call and text for help. It still took the Wasatch and Summit rescues teams more than an hour to reach the Utah helicopter accident site by snowmobile after they had been notified about the accident. Rescue was difficult due to the steep slopes, dense pine forest and deep snow of the Uinta Mountain range. In fact, authorities report that helicopter debris was stuck in the branches of pines trees 100 feet in the air. It is a miracle that the pilot was able maneuver such a crash landing in Utah’s treacherous mountain terrain.

The second Coast Guard helicopter returned and was able to take part in the rescue. The entire crew of the helicopter involved in the crash, which includes four men and one woman, were flown to the University of Utah Hospital for treatment. Three crew members suffered critical injuries including two with serious internal trauma. All three are expected to recover fully from their injuries. The other two crew members appear to be uninjured but have been hospitalized for precautionary observations. An investigation is still being conducted into what caused this tragic helicopter crash.

It truly is amazing that the five crew members of this aviation accident were not killed or sustain life-threatening injuries. As Wasatch county sheriff stated, “They’re very lucky people. He must’ve been one heckuva pilot.” We continue to pray for their speedy and complete recovery.

Aviation Accident Statistics

The most recent statistics on aviation accidents and fatalities are compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent U. S. Federal agency that investigates all civilian aviation accidents that occur within the Unites States.

• In 2008, 1,649 civilian aviation accidents which resulted 564 fatalities nationwide
• 1,559 general aviation accidents which resulted in 495 deaths nationwide in 2008

Finding an Expert Aviation Lawyer in Utah

The search to finding an expert Utah aviation accident attorney can be quite difficult. Most firms do not have experience with this intricate area of law. With the increased popularity of Utah residents owning personal aircrafts, the skilled Salt Lake City personal injury lawyers at the Christensen Law Firm, PLLC, have witnessed more occurrences of general aviation accidents than before.

Whether your tragic aviation accident happened in a small private plane, commercial airliner or helicopter, your personal injury claim is of great concern to us. Aviation law is complex and liability claims can quickly become convoluted. An expert lawyer in plane crashes is essential to ensure your rights are respected and your interests protected.

If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one in an aviation accident we urge you to contact one of our experienced aviation lawyers at 801.506.0800 to set up a FREE, no obligation, consultation to discuss your legal rights and options.

Another plane has crashed in New York just a few weeks after the “miracle on the Hudson” of flight 1549. Continental Connection Flight 3407 went down around 10:30 pm on February 12, 2009 in Buffalo, hurling into a residential house. The accident is still under investigation, but initial findings suggest the plane went down due to ice buildup on the wings of the craft. This tragic crash killed all 49 people on board the aircraft and one person in the home. Two residents in the home managed to escape the inferno and were treated at a hospital for minor injuries. Among the victims were Susan Wehle, a cantor at Temple Beth Am just outside buffalo and Alison Des Forges, senior Africa advisor for Human Rights Watch. Beverly Eckert, a widow of a victim from the 9/11 attack, was also among the deceased. The crewmembers of the flight were Capt. Marvin Renslow, first officer Rebecca Shaw, and flight attendants Matilda Quintero and Donna Prisco. Our deepest condolences for the families of the victims involved in this heartbreaking plane crash.

A young Utah pilot calmly avoided another Utah Plane Crash on February 4, 2009. According to KSL News, 21-year-old David Goodwin was flying a rented Cessna airplane when he suddenly ran out of fuel. Warning his passenger to brace himself, Goodwin proceeded to land the plane on Interstate 80 in Tooele County. The two departed from Spanish Fork airport and were planning on refueling in Tooele. Goodwin told reporters that something told him to stay above I-80 and head toward Salt Lake rather than Tooele Airport. His gut instinct proved correct, as the plane ran out of gas and the engine died at 1,500 feet. Had he headed toward Tooele Airport, he would have had to land in the water. Goodwin said he lined-up the headlights and taillights of the cars on I-80 to assess how close to the ground the plane was. After landing safely on the interstate, Goodwin rolled the plane to the side of the road. Fortunately, no vehicles were involved in the accident and both Goodwin and his passenger received no injuries.

The American author Henry Miller once wrote, “The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.” The validity of this statement was recently seen in the actions of Chelsey B. Sullenberg III, the pilot who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River.

Landing a jet on water is an incredible feat. The pilot must touch-down on the water at the perfect angle. If one of the wings touches the water during the landing, it can cause the plane to literally cartwheel out of control. Water landing is a rare occurrence for planes – so rare that flight schools rarely train pilots for such an occurrence. Yet Sullenberg’s masterful landing demonstrated his incredible ability as a pilot and reflected well upon the training he received from the United States Air Force.

Continue reading "Pilot Chelsey B. Sullenberg III - A True Hero" »

William Phillips and his wife were flying a small plane near Parowan, Utah when the plane started to have engine problems. Phillips tried to return to the airport, but the plane crashed a mile north of it.

William Phillips died in the accident and his wife was severely injured. It appears this plane crash never should have happened and the manufacturer could possibly be responsible.

Cedar City mourns the loss of ten members of its community who died Friday evening, August 22, 2008 when their twin-engine plane, owned by Leavitt Group, crashed near Moab. It is still unclear what caused the accident and it will prove difficult to investigate as much of the plane was badly burned. The victims worked for the Southwest Skin and Cancer/Red Canyon Aesthetics & Medical Spa, a medical group that provides cancer screenings and dermatological services for people who live in rural Southern Utah. Linda Snow, the company's office manager in Cedar City, said, "We are just deeply saddened. These are individuals that were highly skilled and very professional in what they do, and they will be missed."

We too are saddened by this tragic accident and offer our deepest condolences to the families of these victims.

Utah Aviation Legal Team, Utah Plane Crash Attorneys, Cedar City Plane Crash.

Two planes collided near Rock Springs, Wyoming killing three men according to a report by KSL News. One plane was being flown by an air traffic controller from Salt Lake City, Utah while the other plane was operated by a student pilot practicing near the Rock Springs-Sweetwater County Airport. Several witnesses reported seeing an explosion in mid-air with tons of debris falling to the ground.

This is truly a horrible tragedy and I offer my deepest condolences to the families of these victims.

Aviation accidents are devastating and extremely complex to investigate. It will be a long wait before the results of the Federal Aviation Administration’s investigation are known. These types of accidents are clearly the result of someone’s negligence. Whether it is pilot inattentiveness, engine maintenance failure or misdirection by the air traffic controllers, the families of these victims would be well advised to retain the services of an aviation legal team. Since airplane crashes can involve several states, defendants and legal venues and to ensure each claim receives the necessary time and resources, we have hand selected the top attorneys and aerospace engineers in the United States who have secured some of the largest aviation injury settlements and jury verdicts in the world. Instead of waiting for FAA reports, our legal team performs a thorough investigation of the crash site and surrounding evidence to uncover every form of liability for these tragic accidents.

According to KSL News Report, "2 Die in Plane Crash at Bear Lake," a single engine plane crashed this morning on the shoreline of Bear Lake near Garden City. Both the man and woman inside were from Washington State and died in this tragic accident.

I’m deeply sorry for the loss of life in this fatal accident. Aviation accidents are devastating and incredibly complex to investigate. It will be a long wait before the results of the investigation are known. The families of these victims would be well advised to retain the services of a Washington Personal Injury Lawyer. When our firm has an opportuntiy to refer someone to a lawyer in Washington, our first choice is Christopher Davis and the Davis Law Group. The Davis Law Group in Seattle, Washington is one of the most successful and reputable personal injury law firms in Washington. I know attorney Christopher Davis and am thoroughly impressed by his dedication to his clients and their causes.

Three men were tragically killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “Copter crash pilot remembered as icon of wildlife relocation”, the crash occurred about a mile west of the Carbon County Airport near Price. Pilot James Ian Innes, 59, of Salt Lake City; Andrew Innes, 30, of Park City; and George McDaniel, 40, of Idaho Falls, Idaho all died in the accident.

Both James and his son Andrew were originally from New Zealand, where James worked as a pilot for wildlife-relocation projects. After moving to Utah James continued to work as a pilot for Pathfinder Helicopter, Inc., a business that catches wild animals. James Ian Innes provided a wonderful service to our state, which is full of wildlife resources.

Continue reading "Helicopter Crash in Price, Utah Kills Three Men" »

Two men survived an airplane crash in Carbon County, Utah according to a KUTV news report, "Two People Survive Plane Crash in Carbon County." A witness said that the plane went down between East Carbon and Sunnyside. John Bridewell of South Dakota and his passenger, Duncan Bridewell of Arizona are reportedly in stable condition at the University of Utah Hospital.

We are happy to hear these two men miraculously survived this crash and wish them a full and speedy recovery.

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We previously reported that Utah Resident, James Taylor was the lone survivor when two medic helicopters crashed June 29th. We are saddened to report that Mr. Taylor was unable to recover from his injuries and died at the hospital on the Fourth of July. Taylor was a registered nurse at St. Mark's hospital and also worked part time as a flight nurse.

We share our deepest condolences for Mr. Taylor's wife and three children.

A helicopter crash in Flagstaff, Arizona has claimed the lives of six people. According to a recent KSL News report, the lone survive of the crash is Utah resident James Taylor, 36, of Salt Lake City.

James Taylor, who works as a nurse at St. Mark’s Hospital and Intermountain Medical Center, is in critical condition after the medical helicopter he was traveling in collided with another medical helicopter also in the vicinity of a Flagstaff hospital. Federal Authorities are still trying to determine why the two helicopters collided in mid-air.

This is a horrible tragedy and we offer our condolences to the families of the victims.

Aviation law is a complex area of litigation. There are numerous possible claims of liability that involve state, federal, and international law. Because helicopter and airplane crashes involve several states, defendants, and legal venues, it is important for victims to retain an aviation attorney who has formed relationships with the top accident reconstructionists and other out-of-state attorneys to ensure every aspect of this complex area of law is taken care of.

Although Mr. Taylor likely qualifies for workers compensation insurance, he may also be able to make a personal injury claim for his entire lost wages as well as pain and suffering. This can be very beneficial as workers compensation normally limits the amount of recovery, but a personal injury claim will not.