Ranger, TX — A small plane crashed near Ranger, TX this past Monday night and at least one person was injured. Authorities with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) reported that a small Piper airplane, believed to be propeller-driven, crashed while it was en route to Stephenville from Abilene.
The details of what happened here are still unknown, but authorities said that the plane lost radio and radar contact on Monday night, then crashed.
The pilot actually had to use a cellphone in order to call authorities and also call for help, since his passenger was injured. The passenger, who wasn’t named, apparently suffered a broken arm and had to go to the hospital.
The cause of the plane’s crash, however, is still unknown.
Map of Ranger
Commentary:
I’ve said this before on my blog, but investigating aviation accidents takes a lot of time, and the FAA and NTSB are renowned for taking months – sometimes years – to complete their investigations. The issue is that most people assume “pilot error” is the cause of these smaller plane crashes, but in reality, sometimes a defective or a malfunctioning engine part can cause a crash as well. If that’s the case, then to hold the manufacturer responsible, you’d need the proper evidence and expert witnesses — which are hard to come by if the FAA is still working on your investigation 9 months later.
Obviously, I have no idea what caused this particular plane to crash, but you can see my point, right? Waiting a long time for an investigation to be finished is a bad idea because the statute of limitations can run out before you even have a chance to decide whether or not legal action needs to be taken. After all, you’d be upset with Ford or Chevy if your steering wheel broke mid-drive, and it’s the same way with some of these smaller passenger planes, only the stakes are much higher.
— Grossman Law Offices
