Deadly Plane Crash in Gainesville, GA Prompts Investigation

Late on a Friday evening earlier this year, a single-engine plane crashed in Gainesville, Georgia, killing all three people inside. The pilot and passengers were on their way to Daytona Beach, Florida. Authorities were alerted to the crash when a passerby called 911 regarding debris in the road and nearby woods.

No other people were injured by the crash. Per CNN, part of the wing fell into the bedroom of a mobile home; the family was home at the time, but they were in the kitchen and uninjured. Further, “five people were displaced in the incident due to fuel falling on their home.”

Fox 5 Atlanta spoke with Gainesville Fire Department Division Chief Keith Smith, who said it was “speculation at this point, but [the pilot] turned around for some reason and tried, apparently, to get back to the airport.”

A thorough investigation is critical to understanding what went wrong

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are still investigating the cause of the crash, and an autopsy is being conducted by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab. These investigations, conducted by separate entities, can help piece together the events right before, during, and after the crash.

Investigations like these are often a key component to pursuing justice. Chip Griewahn, Chief Aviator of Fly Corps Aviation, brings decades of experience as a pilot, firefighter and EMT, handling both arson and aircraft crash investigations. As a staff member at Harris Lowry Manton LLP, Chip’s training in aircraft investigations offers valuable expertise as well as the ability to participate in FAA and NTSB investigations, if authorized by a victim’s family and approved by the lead FAA/NTSB investigator.

Harris Lowry Manton LLP is the only Georgia law firm with an on-staff aviation accident investigator, which offers a unique advantage to clients of the firm whose loved ones are hurt or killed in a plane crash. To date, Chip has completed his course in Aircraft Accident Investigation (from the USC Viterbi School’s Aviation Safety & Security Program), and he will be officially certified as an accident investigator in May 2021.

What does an aviation accident investigator do?

Aviation accident investigators work to find the root cause of plane crashes and other aviation accidents. The investigator not only analyzes data from the aircraft’s “black box” and internal systems, but he or she also analyzes the pilot’s behavior and the actions of air traffic controllers (when applicable). In short, the aviation accident investigator looks at the mechanical, technological, ecological, and human causes of plane crashes to determine what went wrong, why it happened, and how it can be avoided in the future.

What kinds of plane crashes does an aviation accident investigator review?

Aviation accident investigators can be called in to investigate any type of aviation incident, including:

• Commercial plane crashes
• Small plane crashes
• Flight school accidents
• Corporate aircraft accidents
• Helicopter crashes
• Medevac/ air ambulance accidents

How can an aviation accident investigator help my case?

If you are injured in a plane crash, or if your loved one is hurt or killed in any kind of aviation incident, our on-staff investigator Chip Griewahn can request to join the ongoing FAA/NTSB investigation. If the request is approved, Chip will be given access to all of the same data and analysis the FAA or NTSB collects, and he will also be able to produce data and analysis of his own. This information is given to your aviation accident attorneys at the firm to support your claim for damages. As the only law firm in Georgia who can access this information in real time, we provide a unique advantage for our clients.

Harris Lowry Manton LLP is Georgia’s premier aviation accident law firm and a leader in wrongful death litigation. If you or a loved one suffered losses in a plane crash or other aviation accident, please call the firm in Savannah at 912-417-3774, in Atlanta at 404-998-8847, or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.