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CESSNA 182 CRASH NEAR HARNETT COUNTY AIRPORT, NORTH CAROLINA

National Transportation Safety Board investigators will be on scene today at the site of the tragic crash near the Harnett County (NC) Regional Jetport.  Although too early to speculate on the cause of the crash, this type of crash, a night-time approach-to-landing accident, will result in the NTSB focusing on the following areas while trying to answer the main question of why was the Cessna 182 low enough to clip trees a mile from the airport?

Any night approach to landing crash in which an aircraft crashes short of the runway leads to concerns about “spatial disorientation.”  This can be caused by lack of light in remote areas which causes pilots on visual flight rules (VFR) flights—meaning not being directed and monitored by Air Traffic Control and flying by instruments—to lose reference to visual cues which keep them safe.  If this happens, a pilot can become disoriented and lose his or her ability to fly the aircraft safely.

Also to be investigated is whether the aircraft sustained some sort of mechanical problem that caused the aircraft to lose power.  The NTSB will be looking at potential engine mechanical problems.

Another consideration is some type of control malfunction which prevented the pilot from being able to control the aircraft.  The NTSB will look at all control linkages, pulleys and cables.

Another potentiality is fuel exhaustion.  It is not inconceivable that after a long cross-country flight the aircraft could have run out of fuel.  The NTSB will be checking departure airport records and any en route stops to see if the aircraft took on fuel and, if so, how much.

The degree of damage seen on aerial photographs initially indicates an impact with considerable force which could indicate powered flight.

James T. Crouse
CROUSE LAW OFFICES
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Mr. Crouse With KidsandCars.org Founder Janette Fennell

Earlier we posted an article describing the impressive talk KidsandCars.org founder Janette Fennell gave at a gathering in Florida.  You might recall that Janette is a powerful advocate for child safety in and around cars, and works diligently with congress and attorneys to see that everything that can be done is being done to prevent tragedies involving children being injured or killed by car “rollovers” and “frontovers,’ as well as leaving children in locked cars.  Please visit her website to learn all you can about how to avoid these senseless accidents.



Here is a picture of me with Janette and with Raleigh North Carolina lawyers Beth Leone Noble and Jennifer Seate.  Beth, Jennifer and I are determined to bring Janette’s message to the entirety of North Carolina—and maybe Janette herself—so look for future announcements on this important safety message.

By the way, we recently learned of Safe Kids North Carolina, the North Carolina Chapter of Safe Kids USA,  which addresses all areas of child safety.  We encourage you to visit all of these web sites and get the word out to your schools, civic organizations, neighbors, churches, and work places—anywhere the word might save a life.

Saving Our Children From Avoidable Car Accidents

I just returned from speaking at a lawyer’s conference in Florida. While there I was fortunate to hear Janette Fennell speak about the important issue of children’s safety. Janette is the founder of KidsAndCars.org, an organization dedicated to improving the safety of children in and around motor vehicles while on private property—in non traffic accidents.

We’ve all heard of these unthinkable horrors—when children are run over in their own driveways, usually by a member of their own family. Janette told us not only about back overs but also about front overs, both of which are caused by blind spots in the front and rear of the vehicles. These blind spots can reach as much as 60 feet.

Janette has done something about this. Her organization is not only the first organization to recognize the dangers of what is generally an unknown and ignored problem, but she collects data to present to legislatures and other organizations to bring attention to the tragic loss of the lives of our children caused not only by these types of events, but also in such things as children left in cars where they can die because of heat stroke.

Her efforts have produced legislation which will require back-up camera on all vehicles—a worthy requirement. This is not her first “win” for safety. Following a terrifying kidnapping in her own family, she succeeded in convincing the government and the automotive industry that trunk entrapment was a real problem. This resulted in federal legislation that now requires a “glow-in-the-dark” internal trunk release being required in all cars produced in the US after September 1, 2001.

At this same conference were two terrific North Carolina lawyers, Beth Nobel and Jennifer Seate, also from Raleigh. These attorneys have their hearts and minds in the right place, not only representing people who have been hurt, but also understanding and believing in the importance of safety so that people won’t be harmed.

Those of us at Crouse Law Offiecs, along with Leone, Nobel and Seate, want to be Janette’s “troops on the ground” in North Carolina to carry the KidsandCars message throughout our state. Log into our websites for news about our future efforts in this vital crusade and to see how you can help save our children visit Kidsandcars.org. It is our goal that no other child be harmed by these wholly preventable events.

Elon Freshman Dies After Taking YAZ

Michelle Pfleger, an 18-year-old college student – full of hope and promise –  collapsed and later died of a blood clot in September, 2010 after taking YAZ, also known as Yasmin or Ocella, a contraceptive often used to treat acne.  The drug is made by the German company, Bayer.

Her mother has filed a lawsuit against the Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and hopes by publicizing what happened to her freshman daughter will keep another family from having to go through the same tragedy.

The lawsuit claims YAZ is a dangerous prescription drug sold without proper warnings of the risks of serious and fatal injuries.  It claims YAZ poses a greater risk of serious side effects than previous generations of oral contraceptives because it contains the hormone drospirenone.  Last month the British Medical Journal published two studies which found drugs containing drospirenone increased the risk of serious blood clots 2-3 times that of earlier-generation oral contraceptives.

Although Bayer contends these side effects are rare, the official website for YAZ does warn of “increased risks of several serious side effects, including blood clots, stroke, and heart attack.”

New Jersey 7th State To Implement “Sara’s Law” For Car Accident Emergency

In 2007, Sara Dubinin of Sayreville was in a car accident which left her in a coma before she died of her injuries. It was almost two hours before her parents were notified of the accident.

On April 11, Governor Chris Christi signed legislation that will hopefully eliminate this lengthy delay before next of kin are notified when there has been a serious accident. “Sara’s Law” will establish a next-of-kin registry that will provide authorities with immediate access to contact information when a family member is involved or injured in a motor vehicle accident. It will go into effect in 18 months.

New Jersey is now the 7^th state to have this procedure, along with Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Colorado and Delaware. Read the rest of this entry »

$8.8M Awarded In Defective Product Suit

A New York jury has awarded a 21-year-old woman $8.8 million for injuries she suffered when the pocket of her coat was caught on a bolt of a digger being operated by her stepfather.

The bolt was protruding from the drive shaft of an auger-like post-hole digger and her arm wrapped around the digger when the pocket was caught on the bolt, resulting in the loss of her arm in 2004 when she was only 16-year-old.

The jury cited the manufacturer of the digger, Ford New Holland (now known as Case New Holland) for selling a defective product.   The bolt that caught on the girl’s coat was supposed to be covered by a shield, but the shield broke under normal use and was removed by Peter A. Smith, the owner of the digger, in 1999.  The lawsuit alleges the shield was always inadequate and there is nothing to support the fact it was ever tested.

The jury placed 35% of the blame on Case New Holland and 30% each on Peter A Smith, the  owner of the digger and the person who loaned the digger to the stepfather, and on SMC Corp. from Sioux Fall, S.D., the company who assembled the digger.

Products are often made carelessly, designed without using the most appropriate design standards, are haphazardly tested, or have insufficient instructions, warnings or labels. This includes products around the home.

Personal injury cases involving defective products often involve serious injury and permanent disability. A qualified and experienced personal injury lawyer is needed to make sure you receive the maximum compensation for your loss.

Medical Negligence Often Not Reported

I have known for sometime that most acts of medical negligence are never reported, let alone brought into litigation.  In a previous post I have also decried the fact that legislators are limiting the rights of these people who have been harmed by medical negligence – medical malpractice – without addressing the source of the harm – mistakes made by our medical profession including doctors, hospitals and drug companies.  Read the rest of this entry »

Grandparents Sue Over Granddaughter’s Death

Grandparents who moved to the United States from Africa in 2004 to save their granddaughter’s life have file a wrongful death lawsuit against their former landlord over her death in a fire in 2009.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the 10-year-old died from smoke inhalation the day following the fire and the grandparents were in comas for months with severe burns.  They are now disabled from their injuries.

The lawsuit states the windows in their second floor apartment were not able to be opened either because they were designed that way or they were sealed or painted shut, leaving the three people no way to escape the fire.

The fire started when a man with a mental disorder andwho lived in their building passed out with a lit cigarette.

The lawsuit states the landlord should have ensured the windows would opened and should have cautioned them about their neighbor who has a history of starting fires.

The landlord claims the apartment complied with city codes and had passed inspection.

More Information On Deadly Crash At PTI

Authorities have identified Marcia Salmons Keaton, 50, from Fuquay-Varina as the pilot of the Beechcraft Baron 58 that crashed into a house in High Point, North Carolina, roughly 3 miles from touchdown at Piedmont Triad International Airport, reports WRAL in Raleigh.  The pilot and her passenger, Dr. Thomas Littlejohn III of Winston Salem were killed in the crash. No one on the ground was injured.

It has now been confirmed that the National Weather Service reported heavy fog in the area at the time, with visibility as low as a quarter-mile. The pilot spoke with air traffic controllers (ATC) and was routed to PTI via “radar vectors,” which means she was directed to the bigger airport every step of the way by air traffic controllers.

In the air traffic control recording the pilot of Air Logistics 569 (AirLog 569), after receiving the 100-foot ceiling weather, is heard that it (the weather) wouldn’t help much. After that, the pilot discussed holding—which means waiting for the weather to clear—with the air traffic controller. The air traffic controller told her that everyone was getting into Greensboro—no “go-arounds”—then the pilot of Air Log 569 agreed try an approach. The controller then guided the aircraft to an instrument approach to runway 5 left. AirLog 569 was cleared to 3000 feet, and then was cleared for the ILS Rwy 5L approach 9 miles from Cives, which is 4.7 nm miles from touchdown. AirLog 569 was instructed to maintain 3000 feet until established on the approach.

Fifty seconds after this, the controller contacted the Air Logistics aircraft saying that it had flown through the localizer course, and the pilot responded that the aircraft was coming back to the course. Approximately two minutes later, ATC cleared AirLog 569 to land on Rwy 5L. Just over a minute later, called AirLog 569 to advise it of a low altitude alert and the pilot responded that they were going around. The controller issued go-around instructions.

ATC tried several times after this to contact AirLog 569 but there were no responses.

Two Die In High Point, NC Plane Crash

A twin-engine Hawker Beechcraft Baron Model 58 belonging to Jet Logistics of Charlotte, N.C., crashed into a home in High Point, North Carolina, killing the aircraft’s two occupants. One was a noted physician from Winston-Salem, N.C., the other victim was the pilot who has yet to be identified.

The aircraft had flown earlier in the day (7:11 am) from Raleigh-Durham International Airport and arrived at Smith-Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem thirty minutes later, departing for Wilmington, N.C. at 8:50 a.m. It arrived in Wilmington at 9:42 a.m. and departed on the accident flight at 4:23 p.m. en route back to Smith Reynolds with an intended landing at 5:20 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »