Aviation Lawsuit

Motley Rice lawyers have litigated aviation-related personal injury, class action, wrongful death and product liability lawsuits. They have litigated airline, aviation terrorism and General Aviation (GA) cases in the U.S. and in multinational and cross-border jurisdictions. 

Airline lawsuits include all facets of commercial aviation. This includes major air carriers and regional airlines that offer scheduled domestic and international flights for fare-paying passengers. Airline litigation also includes air taxis, chartered flights and private planes for hire. 

Airline lawsuits include major aviation accidents such as the Air France 447 crash. 

Motley Rice has represented victims and survivors of terrorist attacks involving commercial airlines.

Our attorneys have:

• Achieved settlements for 56 of the 96 families that opted out of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
• Investigated alleged airline and aviation security failures related to the 9/11 terrorist attacks
• Negotiated a settlement for the family of Mark Bavis, who died aboard United Airlines Flight 175

Motley Rice has represented victims and survivors of aircraft accidents as a result of the actions of FAA Air Traffic Controller. This includes litigation involving the communication errors of air traffic controller.

General aviation (GA) includes nearly all aviation except military flights and scheduled commercial flights. It is also commonly known as personal or on-demand aviation. These cases can involve aircraft ranging from single-engine prop-driven planes to business jets with intercontinental range. 

The GA lawsuit category also includes:

• Agricultural flights
• Balloons and lighter-than-air vehicles
• Corporate flights
• Firefighting flights
• Helicopter flights
• Medical and emergency evacuations
• Recreational and sport flying
• Traffic and news reporting aircraft

Since 1988, Motley Rice has litigated aviation cases of all types, from terrorist attacks to single-engine aircraft crashes. Our attorneys have worked on lawsuits related to the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, the fatal 2020 crash of an Air Force F-16 fighter and many other aircraft-related deaths and injuries.

Here are examples of current and previous aviation cases involving our team of experts. 

On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 collided midair with an Army Black Hawk helicopter. The commercial plane was nearing the end of its flight from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. when the two aircraft collided. Both vehicles then crashed into the Potomac River. Flight 5342 had 60 passengers and four crew members. The Black Hawk was carrying three soldiers.

Motley Rice aviation attorneys are currently investigating the helicopter and plane crash. Families of those impacted by this tragedy are encouraged to reach out to attorneys Mary Schiavo and Jim Brauchle.

When Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed shortly after takeoff, it was the second Boeing 737 MAX 8 to crash within a six-month period. The Flight 302 aviation accident in 2019 took the lives of 149 passengers and eight crew members. 

Aviation experts contend that the plane’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was a factor in both 737 MAX 8 crashes. The MCAS may have been responding to data from a faulty sensor. This case is still active. 

A Gulfstream IV business jet crash in 2014 took the lives of seven passengers. The jet failed to lift off safely and struck airport lighting and Instrument Landing System (ILS) hardware. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hasn’t made a final ruling on what caused the crash. Its preliminary report showed that the pilots may have skipped a flight control check before departure. This case is active.

The 2014 disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 remains a mystery. Motley Rice represents families of Flight 370 victims who apparently lost their lives aboard the Boeing 777. Although the case remains ongoing, Motley Rice is no longer accepting claims. 

On July 7, 2015, a United States Air Force F-16 was involved in a mid-air collision with a Cessna 150, over Moncks Corner, S.C., killing the passengers in the Cessna. Motley Rice attorneys brought a lawsuit on behalf of the families of the deceased members of the private airplane against the United States Government for the failures of the F-16 and Air Traffic Control in preventing the crash from occurring. Allegations against the F-16 included that it failed to “see and avoid” the Cessna. Air Traffic Control allegedly failed  to prevent the collision by poor communication and indecisiveness while directing traffic.

The case was settled shortly after the lawsuit was filed.

Motley Rice aviation attorneys represented the families of the five Italian passengers who lost their lives in a mid-air collision over the Hudson River on Aug. 8, 2009. Our team investigated the legal responsibility that Liberty Helicopter Tours, the Piper pilot, aircraft manufacturers, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration may have had to the families of the victims of this terrible tragedy. 

The litigation focused on the liability of the air traffic controllers for their alleged lack of attention to detail and ineffective communication along with the inherent limitations of the “see and avoid” principle.

The case was settled after the start of litigation and discovery.

Army investigators found that a malfunctioning tail rotor caused a helicopter crash. One of the pilots died, and several other Army personnel were injured in the crash. A nut that wasn’t torqued to the proper specifications caused the tail rotor malfunction, sending the Sikorsky MH-60M Black Hawk into an unrecoverable spin. Additionally, the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) malfunctioned, forcing one of the surviving crew members to drag himself out of the helicopter and call emergency services using his personal cell phone.

Motley Rice represented the pilot who died and a pilot and crew member who were injured in the 2014 crash. 

Motley Rice also represented the crew members and their families of a Black Hawk helicopter crash that suffered an engine failure at low altitude causing the helicopter to crash into the Indian Ocean.  

The case was litigated against the manufacturer of the engine and was recently settled.

Motley Rice conducted a worldwide investigation after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It uncovered flaws in security procedures that airlines, airports and security companies knew about but didn’t correct.

This investigation allowed the Motley Rice aviation law team to reach a settlement for the family of Mark Bavis. Bavis was a passenger killed onboard United Airlines Flight 175. This investigation and settlement were part of an effort to improve aviation security.

See a full list of our aviation cases or download our aviation brochure for background on our experience, approach to cases and attorneys in the aviation practice group. 

• Airport and airline workers
• Air traffic controllers
• Flight attendants
• Passengers and their families
• Pilots
• People on the ground injured by incidents involving:
  • Balloons
  • Charter planes
  • Commercial airlines
  • Helicopters
  • General aviation (GA)
  • Small planes
• Victims and survivors of terrorist attacks involving commercial airlines

Airlines, aviation maintenance companies, airports and aircraft manufacturers have some of the best-funded defense teams in the world. Motley Rice has the experience needed to litigate cases against defendants such as: 

See more defendants Motley Rice has litigated against in aviation lawsuits.

The Motley Rice aviation litigation team has the experience to hold accountable parties responsible for personal injury or wrongful deaths. Responsible parties include airlines, aircraft manufacturers, government agencies and other related entities. 

Our law firm has litigated aircraft crashes, aviation-related terrorist attacks and many other related incidents that involve airlines, airports, maintenance companies and aircraft manufacturers.  

Each air crash has its unique set of facts and circumstances. The common thread among them is that we aspire to:

• Uncover who is responsible and hold them accountable
• Get closure and compensation for plaintiffs
• Make aviation safer to prevent injury or loss of life

We’re committed to protecting the interests of our clients and their loved ones. We will invest the resources and time necessary to work toward the best possible outcome.

Talk to an aviation attorney today.