Aviation Operations & Regulatory Environment

This article examines the legal and evidentiary role of Airworthiness Directives, Service Bulletins, and continuing airworthiness in aviation litigation. It explains how these materials affect notice, compliance, causation analysis, and the allocation of responsibility in technically complex aircraft cases.

Operational control is often the decisive issue in cases involving privately operated, chartered, and managed aircraft. This article explains how regulators, investigators, and courts analyze that issue and why it matters in complex aviation litigation.

After an aviation crash, important evidence may exist not only in the wreckage itself, but also in maintenance records, operational records, onboard data, scene documentation, and other materials that can bear on how the event occurred and what entities may have been...

FAA vs. NTSB: Who Does What After an Aviation Accident? When an aviation accident occurs in the United States, two federal agencies often become involved quickly: the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Their...

The continued operation of aging aircraft can present complex issues in aviation accident investigation and litigation. Many aircraft still in service today have been operating for decades, which can raise questions about long-term structural condition, inspection...

Certification Compliance and Preemption Arguments in Aviation Product Liability Litigation In aviation product liability litigation, one of the most common defenses concerns federal certification compliance. Aircraft manufacturers may contend that because a component...

Modern aviation accident investigation generally follows a structured, multidisciplinary framework. Major civil and military investigative authorities often organize complex aircraft investigations using a group-based model, in which technical specialists are assigned...

Understanding Your Rights: Legal Recourse for Turbulence-Injured Airline Passengers Turbulence is one of the most common hazards encountered during commercial airline flights. While most turbulence events are minor, severe turbulence can cause serious injuries to...

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed on March 10, 2019, shortly after departure from Addis Ababa. The accident followed the October 2018 crash of Lion Air Flight 610 and led to the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX fleet. Litigation arising from...

On April 17, 2018, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 experienced an in-flight engine failure that resulted in an emergency landing in Philadelphia and a fatal passenger injury. Early reporting and the ensuing investigation focused attention on fan blade integrity,...