If you have sustained injuries or one of your loved ones has died in an Alaska Airlines aviation accident in Alaska, contact The Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC today.

Every year in the United States, hundreds of people lose their lives in aviation accidents and thousands more become injured. In 2019, the United States saw a total of 20 fatal airplane accidents that resulted in 283 fatalities. Thirteen of these accidents took place with passenger flights and six were cargo flights. Ten of those twenty accidents took place in Alaska. Alaska has a higher rate of deadly airplane accidents than the national average. In 2018, Alaska saw nine fatal airplane accidents, and in 2017, it saw eight.

Alaska Airlines Plane Accidents

Alaska Airlines specifically, has seen a total of five fatal and injurious accidents in the last 60 years, and eleven major accidents during its existence. The most recent fatal Alaska Airlines airplane crash took place in 2000, when an MD-80 crashed into the Pacific Ocean, killing 83 passengers and five crew members. It is important to note that the subsequent investigation into why the crash occurred found that inadequate maintenance ultimately led to excessive wear and eventual failure of one of the plane’s critical flight control systems. Nine of the eleven total Alaska Airline accidents caused fatalities. A total of 226 people have died as a result of aviation accidents with Alaska Airlines.

The worst fatal airplane crash that occurred with Alaska Airlines took place on September 4, 1971, and took the lives of all 111 passengers on board. The crash remains unsolved to this day and occurred when for unknown reasons, the aircraft operating the flight crashed into a mountain in Haines Borough, about 18 miles west of Juneau. This was also the first fatal Alaska Airlines crash to occur.
If you or someone you love has become injured in an accident while riding with Alaska Airlines, contact an experienced Alaska Airlines accident attorney at the Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC for a free consultation and case evaluation to see if you qualify for financial compensation for your injuries and incurred losses.
Jason Skala is an experienced aviation accident attorney in Anchorage who will fight for your legal right toward financial compensation in the event that you or someone you love has sustained injuries or died in an Alaska Airlines accident.
Jason Skala at the Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC protects and preserves the rights of those injured in Alaska Airlines accidents as well as the family members of those killed in these accidents. He possesses the experience and knowledge necessary in order to successfully litigate your claim so that you may be awarded the financial compensation you deserve. Being injured by another person’s negligence should never cost you money, which is why Attorney Jason Skalais here to help. With a compassionate and personal approach, he will work diligently so that you and/or your loved ones get the justice you are entitled to and the financial compensation needed to move forward from your accident.

airplane on the runway

Airplane Accident Causes

The National Transportation Safety Board indicated that approximately 5.4% of the 221 plane crash fatalities that occurred in the United States in 2016 took place in Alaska, which is home to less than 1% of the country’s population. Alaska’s plane accident rate as well as the rate of fatalities that result from plane accidents is higher than the rest of the United States.

Some of these Alaska aviation accidents can be attributed to conditions such as too few ground-based radio receivers used to help pilots track other aircraft, a technology needed to prevent mid-air collisions. A mid-air collision occurred in Alaska in May 2019 in Ketchikan, Alaska that took six lives and injured many others. Other conditions that contribute to the high rate of plane crashes in Alaska are treacherous weather, the large size of Alaska, and the number of landings and take-offs taking place on rugged terrain.

However, there are other reasons that plane accidents can take place in Alaska. A study of roughly 2,000 major airline accidents that occurred over roughly fifty years showed that nearly 60% of them were the result of pilot or staff related errors, such as maintenance negligence or improper cargo loading. An additional 21% of these accidents were the result of mechanical failure.

The following list includes the top ten causes of aviation accidents in Alaska and across the United States according to the Federal Aviation Agency.

  • Operating in low altitudes
  • Collisions in mid-air
  • Unintended flight in IMC (instrument meteorological conditions)
  • System component failure
  • Undetermined/unknown
  • Fuel related
  • Failure of system component
  • Controlled flight into terrain
  • Loss of flight control/pilot error

Loss of flight control remains the leading cause of general aviation accidents in amateur-built aircraft in the United States.

bear walking in alaska

The Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC has a long and successful history of commercial aviation accident litigation. Our Anchorage law firm has favorably litigated a large number of plane crash claims, including wrongful death and personal injury claims.

To further learn about the scope of our expertise and experience, contact our law firm today at (907) 569-6633 to speak with a knowledgeable aviation accident attorney in Anchorage.

Aviation Accident
Litigation Requirements

Aviation accident litigation requires a far-reaching knowledge of domestic and international regulations and laws. Plane crash investigations often require considerable technical proficiency and present complicated factual issues. Considering these complexities, aviation accident attorneys must be heavily versed in aviation law and possess exemplary knowledge of extremely technical issues concerning aerodynamics, engineering, piloting, airline operations, aircraft maintenance, air traffic control systems, weather control systems, among many other aspects.

Any attorney who may be unfamiliar with the particulars of aviation accident law is at risk of misguiding their clients or producing less-than-satisfactory results for their clients. For these reasons, many injured aviation accident victims turn to the Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC for aviation accident injury claims. Jason Skala possesses the needed expertise and experience when it comes to aviation accident law and litigation.

Be it an individual plane crash with a single victim or an aviation accident disaster that affected hundreds of victims, Jason Skala applies the same trusted work ethic to all his clients. He brings meticulous preparation and dedicated commitment to each and every case, and truly cares for his clients’ best interest, as well as that of their families.

Common Injuries that Result from Plane Accidents

Federal Aviation Administration violations, pilot and/or staff errors, and defective aircraft components can all result in injurious and deadly airplane accidents. It is important to note that an airplane does not have to be in the air in order for injuries to take place. When you or a loved one of yours becomes injured in an aviation accident in Alaska, be it an Alaska Airlines accident or another type of accident, it is imperative to seek the assistance of an aviation accident attorney in order to determine fault and liability of the crash. This may prevent further injuries and make it so that you and your loved ones are fully compensated for your injuries, damages, and losses.

While a plane is in the air, coming in for a landing, or taking off, a simple mistake made by a pilot, parts manufacturer, or maintenance staff member could cause an accident, which could then result in injuries or death to the plane’s passengers. While in-flight injuries are generally not as severe as crash injuries, either of these incidents can result in significant trauma that could result in:

  • Broken Bones: Highly painful fractures in a person’s hands, feet, back, or extremities can be caused by even a “minor accident.”
  • Brain Injuries: A passenger’s head making contact with an overhead compartment, window, or falling luggage can cause traumatic brain injury that calls for extensive and expensive medical treatment.
  • Back Injuries: A passenger’s spinal cord can be damaged or compressed by an aviation accident, causing temporary or permanent paralysis.
  • Burns: Due to the friction of the brakes and airline fuel being highly combustible, fires usually result from airplane crashes. Burn injuries that result from airplane accidents often require expensive skin grafts, extensive cosmetic surgery, and can result in disfigurement of any part of the body.
  • Emotional turmoil: Post-traumatic stress disorder can and often does result from being involved and injured in a plane crash. PTSD symptoms can cause a person to become anxious, withdrawn, and depressed, as well as angry and high-strung. These symptoms almost always impede on a person’s ability to live and enjoy their life, and usually require heavy medication, oftentimes sedation, and intensive therapy.

airplane flying in the sky

Why You Should Work with
Lawyer Jason Skala

The Law Office of Jason Skala, LLC provides its clients with the most respectable and effective legal services in Alaska. Located in Anchorage, Jason Skala also serves the cities of Pt Lay, Pt Hope, Anuktuvak Pass, and Barrow, among others. Admitted to the Alaska Bar Association in 2001, Jason Skala has experience awarding his clients with full and fair financial compensation for their injuries and losses.

Contact us today if you were injured in a plane crash that was caused by the negligence of a pilot or staff member. Call our law firm today in order to be connected with an aviation accident attorney to see if you qualify for financial compensation for your injuries and losses.

Schedule a free consultation

If you or a loved one of yours has become injured due to an Alaska Airlines plane crash, or another type of plane crash in Alaska, you may be suffering in more ways than one. You may be going through immense pain and suffering due to your injuries or the loss of a loved one. You may have been forced out of work for a prolonged period due to needing to recover from your injuries, which could have resulted in lost wages and financial instability. This can all be very stressful which can cause immense emotional turmoil on top of possibly mourning the death of a loved one or trying to recover from serious injuries. No one should ever have to deal with issues of this magnitude on their own, which is why we are here to help. Jason Skala wholeheartedly believes in providing people with great legal services during bad times. He has successfully handled a large number of complex cases and possesses the experience, resources, and knowledge necessary to successfully litigate your claim. He will aggressively negotiate with insurance companies so that you can financially recover as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, we will determine the cause and liability of your accident and award you punitive damages by holding a negligent party responsible for their actions.

Hold Airlines Accountable

Get in Touch with us