Kreindler Successfully Settled Hudson River Midair Collision Cases
What Happened
On Saturday, August 8, nine people were killed in a midair collision above New York’s Hudson River between a Eurocopter AS350 (N401LH) helicopter, operated by Liberty Helicopter Tours, and a Piper PA32 (N71MC) airplane operated by a private pilot. The death toll included five Italian tourists and a pilot from New Jersey in the helicopter and three members of a Pennsylvania family in the airplane.
Twenty seconds before the collision, the air traffic control radar system computer detected a conflict between the paths of the helicopter and the plane and set off an aural alarm and visual "conflict alert" for both the Teterboro and Newark tower controllers. The controllers made no attempt to issue a warning of the collision danger.
Following this tragedy, partner Justin Green, a former Marine Corps helicopter pilot who holds commercial licenses in helicopters and fixed wing aircraft wrote the article Assessing Duties of Pilots, Controllers After Collision Over the Hudson. The article addresses the responsibilities of pilots and air traffic controllers and the rules for aircraft traversing the busy airspace around Manhattan.
The crash occurred in the “Hudson River VFR Corridor,” a small slice of airspace above the Hudson River in New York City where flight is permitted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) below 1,100 feet. Under current rules, pilots may enter this area without any clearance from air traffic control and are expected to self-announce their entry into the corridor and to report checkpoints along the river on a designated radio frequency. The corridor can become very crowded, especially on a clear summer day like the day of the tragedy. The safety of the VFR airspace around New York has been a concern for a number of years. It received a lot of attention after the 2006 crash of Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle’s airplane into a Manhattan apartment building.
Who knows more about aviation law than attorneys who are also licensed, commercial pilots?
Kreindler Partners and Former Military Pilots (L-R): Justin Green (USMC) Brian Alexander (U.S. Army) Dan Rose (U.S. Navy)
We Know, We Fly
Our staff of attorneys includes five pilots and one former aviation maintenance specialist (who is also a graduate of the NTSB accident investigation course). In each case, we assemble a team of litigators, investigators, outside experts, and staff to meticulously examine and prepare all aspects of our claim’s liability and damages to determine the cause of the accident, identify responsible entities, present the strongest case and obtain the highest possible compensatory award for the plaintiffs we represent.
Kreindler Experience with Mid-Air and Tour Collisions
Kreindler partners have handled many cases involving tour, sight-seeing, private airplanes, and mid-air crashes including the Piper and de Havilland aircraft models that were involved in this tragedy.
Kreindler Partner and former Army pilot Brian Alexander represented victims of an Alaskan single-engine de Havilland Canada DHC-3 floatplane crash – the 2010 tragedy that killed former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens.
Kreindler Partner Dan Rose is a former Navy pilot and is a licensed seaplane pilot. Mr. Rose along with partners Brian Alexander and U.S. Marine pilot Justin Green have handled many mid-air crash cases.
Kreindler partners and successfully represented victims of a tragic midair crash near Philadelphia.
Kreindler has literally written the book on aviation accident law. Our partners have authored numerous highly acclaimed books, articles and treatises, including the leading treatise in the aviation litigation field, Aviation Accident Law.
Kreindler is one of the largest and most distinguished aviation accident law firms in the world. Since 1950, our attorneys have served as lead counsel in nearly every major commercial aviation disaster litigation. Our staff of attorneys includes four commercially licensed helicopter pilots and one former helicopter maintenance specialist (who is also a graduate of the NTSB Accident Investigation Course). The firm has successfully handled countless private, charter, military, general aviation and helicopter accident cases. Our partners have authored numerous highly acclaimed books, articles and treatises on aviation litigation, including the leading treatise in the field, Aviation Accident Law.
Twenty seconds before the collision, the air traffic control radar system computer detected a conflict between the paths of the helicopter and the plane and set off an aural alarm and visual "conflict alert" for both the Teterboro and Newark tower controllers. The controllers made no attempt to issue a warning of the collision danger.
