Denton County, Texas — A flight instructor and a student pilot were both injured last week (Wednesday, May 6, 2015) after their helicopter accidentally crashed in rural Denton. The accident took place southwest of Denton, on the west side of I-35 near Robson Ranch Road/Crawford Road.
The news said that an F28F Enstrom helicopter was being piloted by a student pilot and an instructor that afternoon when something went wrong mid-air. The helicopter crashed in a wooded area of Robson Ranch Road and the instructor suffered a broken arm while the student pilot had to be treated for back injuries.
The helicopter itself, which was made in 1984, was badly damaged. So far, the cause of the crash is still being investigated. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is investigating this.
The names of the victims haven’t been released yet and it’s not clear if they were from a local school.
Map of the Area Where Helicopter Crashed
Commentary:
While I won’t claim to have any special knowledge of what happened here, I can tell you that time is not on your side when it comes to aviation accidents — especially the investigative parts. The FAA and the NTSB both famously take a long time to complete their investigation, which can easily eat up more than half of the statute of limitations on any claim that needs to be filed. The bottom line is that if something went wrong with this helicopter or there was a defect in it, then a swift investigation needs to be done so that if the manufacturer is liable, the proper steps can be taken. Lots of people assume all flight-related crashes are pilot error, but that’s not always true.
— Grossman Law Offices