While rare compared to other types of motor-vehicle crashes, aircraft accidents do happen regularly, usually with devastating results. Despite significant safety improvements over the past decades, many people each year experience the pain of losing someone in an airplane crash.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there was an overall decline in the number of US-registered civil aviation accidents. The number of civil aviation accidents fell from 1,539 in 2012 to 1,297 in 2013. The number of accidents involving commuter aircraft increased from four in 2012 to eight in 2013, with three fatal accidents.

What are common aviation safety hazards in Charleston and Huntington?

• foreign object debris;
• missing or misleading information to the pilot;
• lightening;
• ice and snow;
• engine and structural failures;
• stalling;
• fire.

Small-plane crashes - safety rates are not improving Charleston and Huntington

While safety statistics for large commercial planes have been improving steadily for decades, the accident rate in personal flights has increased by 20% in the past decade, and the fatality rate for personal flights is up 25%.

When someone is injured in an aircraft accident in Charleston or Huntington, what needs to happen next?

When someone is injured, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include:

• CAMC Memorial Hospital - Charleston;
• Saint Francis Hospital - Charleston;
• Cabell Huntington Hospital

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy.

Personal injury lawyers offer a no-cost claim evaluation to help you.

Since there is no cost to speak with a lawyer, it is a good idea to learn more about your potential claim. Accident Data Center can connect you with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can provide you with information about your rights and options.