Aviation Accident Attorneys
Aviation Law Group PS is a leading West Coast law firm representing plaintiffs in the West Coast, the United States, and the World in aircraft accidents and other aviation-related cases involving serious injury/wrongful death. With more than 30 years of experience practicing law, and more than 40 years in aviation, ALG is proud of our excellent legal work on behalf of hundreds of clients. We routinely handle cases with local counsel in all 50 States and Internationally. Additionally, ALG attorneys are licensed to practice law throughout the Western United States including Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, and California.

Bob Hedrick
Attorney 30+ years
Commercial Pilot
A&P Aviation Mechanic
20+ years Teaching
Aviation Accident Law

Casey DuBose
Attorney 9+ years
Commercial Pilot
Flight Instructor
Aviation Law Speaker

Kerry Kovarik
Attorney 11+ years
IA Aviation Mechanic

Chris Rusing
Attorney 20+ years
Airline Pilot & Instructor
Airbus 320 Series Captain
WHAT WE DO
Aviation Accident Law
General Aviation Accidents
General aviation involves private and recreational flight activity. It includes non-airline flights such as scenic flights, flight training, private flights, recreational flights, helicopter flights and operations, seaplanes, flying clubs, business flights, gliders, and a lot of other aerial activity. All of Aviation Law Group attorneys have extensive experience in many aspects of general aviation, from flying and instructing, to operations and aircraft maintenance. Since 1988, our lawyers have handled accidents involving nearly all aspects of general aviation activity for airplanes, helicopters, and fixed base operators.
Helicopter Accidents
Helicopter accidents often involve issues of external load operations such as longline or external load (link to external load), heli-lifting, heli-logging, and fire-fighting support.
Major Airline Accidents
ALG attorneys have represented numerous families who lost loved ones in major airline disasters, such as the January 31, 2000, Alaska Flight 261 accident near Point Hueneme, California, and the February 25, 2009, Turkish Airline Flight TK 1951 accident in Amsterdam. We have extensive experience with international airline liability law, including the Montreal Convention and its predecessor the Warsaw Convention, where issues of liability, jurisdiction, applicable law, and recoverable damages are complex. ALG attorneys have given many talks and written numerous articles in this specialized field of law. Mr. Hedrick also teaches the Montreal Convention as part of his Aviation Accident Law course at Seattle University School of Law.
International Coverage and Regional Expertise
Washington
Unfortunately, aircraft accidents occur nearly weekly throughout Washington. In addition, many aircraft accidents outside of Washington involve Washington manufacturers or operators.
Alaska
Because of the extent of aviation activity throughout the 49th and largest state in the U.S., Robert Hedrick obtained his attorney license in Alaska nearly 20 years ago in 2002 and is an active member of the Alaska Bar Association.
Hawaii
Aviation activity is unique in the Hawaiian archipelago because of its location and geographical topography.
Recent Aviation Law News

Why the Titan Accident May Be Litigated In Washington State
The deaths will likely be governed by maritime law and the Death on the High Seas Act (46 U.S.C. §§ 30301-30308). It provides for an action in admiralty for the exclusive benefit of the “decedent’s spouse, parent, child, or dependent relative.” The act allows claims for the “pecuniary loss” suffered by each of these beneficiaries.

Aviation Law Group (ALG) expands practice to Florida
With Chris’s newest achievement, ALG attorneys are now licensed to practice in California, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and Florida.

The Tragic Twin Otter Aircraft Accident Off The California Coast: Something Terrible Went Wrong
They Had Enough Fuel, But Could Not Get It To The Engines
Why was the accident seaplane so low?
The ADB-S data from the accident flight of N725TH shows a cruising altitude of 600 feet immediately prior a slight climb and then sharp descent to the water below. Why would the pilot would choose to operate the seaplane at such a low altitude? The answer is...
The Second Tragedy: Why Haven’t The Victims Been Found And Recovered
Losing a family member, whether parent, child, or sibling, or even a close friend, is unbearably hard enough. But the second tragedy of the Mutiny Bay Northwest Seaplanes accident, is the stunning fact that the bodies of nine loved ones remain under water, now eight...
History of DHC-3 Otter Reflects Flight Control Related Accident History
The aircraft involved in the Northwest Seaplanes crash occurring off Whidbey Island on September 4, 2022, was a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter registered as N725TH. The Otter is a large, single-engine aircraft popular for its ability to fly in and out of unimproved areas...
Who was the FAA Certified Operator of the Mutiny Bay Seaplane Accident – Northwest Seaplanes, Friday Harbor Seaplanes, or West Isle Air?
ALG research has confirmed that the FAA identifies a company called West Isle Air, Inc. as the FAA registered certificate holder for the De Havilland Otter Seaplane, N725TH, which was involved in the accident off Whidbey Island on September 4, 2022. The Federal...
Seaplane lost off the coast of Whidbey Island
On September 4th, 2022, ten people were lost in a tragic accident off the coast of Whidbey Island following the crash of a Northwest Seaplanes DHC-3 Otter. The flight departed from Friday Harbor at 14:50 local time, and its last position was reported at 15:09. The...
ATC’s role in the Midair Collision at North Las Vegas should be investigated.
On Sunday, July 17, 2022, a tragic and most preventable midair collision occurred above the North Las Vegas Airport. The aircraft involved were a single-engine Piper PA-46 (N97CX) and a single-engine Cessna 172 (N160RA). Two persons were on board each aircraft, and...
Hawaii Helicopter Air Tour Crashes Continue Despite NTSB Safety Recommendations
On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, a Bell 407 helicopter operated by Paradise Helicopters was on a flightseeing tour on Big Island, Hawaii, when it crashed, injuring all six persons on board, including numerous serious injuries. The accident occurred on a small lava field...
Yakutat Coastal Airlines Accident Remains A Mystery
On Tuesday May 24, 2022 at approximately 3:00 pm, a Yakutat Coastal Airlines DHC-3 Otter was involved in a serious accident as it approached to land at a rural airstrip (Dry Bay Airport 3AK) 47 miles southeast of Yakutat. While one passenger received minor injuries,...
关于东方MU5732
在此我们向中国东方航空空难遇难者及其家属致哀,我们的心与其同在。 我们能在美国以航空律师事务所的身份提供您相关的法律服务。而我们的事务所也正好位于波音總部的华盛顿州,波音737-800的设计及组装也是在此完成。 航空法律集团(Aviation Law...
Boeing 737-8 Crashes in China
China Eastern Airlines flight MU5735 crashed en route from Kunming to Guangzhou with 132 souls on board today. The aircraft is a B737-8 that was first delivered in 2015 and built-in Renton Washington. It is not a 737 MAX aircraft. The flight profile shows an...
Can Russia nationalize $12 Billion of foreign-owned civil aircraft?
If you’ve been watching Flight Radar 24, as I have for the last three weeks, you’ll notice that most of the Russian airliners are registered to Bermuda or Ireland. This is a common tax avoidance maneuver that is not limited to the Russian fleet. The following gets...
Does 5G Wireless Technology Really Create An Aviation Safety Hazard?
By Chris Rusing, Attorney, Aviation Law Group The answer is YES! 5G wireless technology is the planned successor to 4G broadband telecommunication cellular networks that provides cellphone network services to most current cell phones. Like 4G networks, 5G networks are...
Representative Cases
Airplane Mis-fueling Accident
A lineman working for local aircraft fueling operation pumped Jet-A aircraft fuel into the tanks of a reciprocating single-engine airplane, which required 100 octane low lead fuel.
Defective Carburetor Accident
In February 2013, following a 3-week trial, a Washington jury returned a verdict for $8.9 million in favor of our client against an aircraft engine manufacturer.
Regional Fly-In Accident
After a 3-week jury trial, Robert Hedrick obtained a $10.5 million verdict against a regional fly-in host and its national counterpart. The case involved failure to arrange for adequate fire and emergency response at the event, which caused a pilot to die needlessly.
Aircraft Design Defect
Last year, after a two-week trial, a 12-person jury returned a verdict in favor of the clients of Aviation Law Group, finding that an aircraft’s flight control system was defectively designed, which caused the deaths of a pilot and his passenger.
Firm Contact Information
If you or a loved one has been the victim of an aviation-related accident, please reach out to us. We are always willing to provide a free initial evaluation and meeting.