Aviation Accident Attorneys
Aviation Law Group PS is a leading law firm representing persons on the West Coast and throughout the United States, in aircraft accidents and other aviation-related cases involving serious injury and wrongful death. ALG has expanded its domestic practice nationally to include the West Coast and East Coast, with offices in Seattle, Washington, Honolulu, Hawaii, and Jupiter, Florida. With more than 35 years of experience practicing law and more than 45 years in aviation, ALG is proud of our highly credentialed attorneys, who are all also certified commercial pilots and two are certified mechanics. ALG has a long history of excellent legal work and results on behalf of hundreds of clients in the highly technical and complex area of aviation litigation. ALG attorneys are licensed to practice law throughout the United States, including Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, California, and Florida. We routinely handle cases throughout the U.S., and with local counsel we can bring our aviation experience to cases in all 50 States, Canada, and Internationally.
Kenmore Air Flight 140 (Sucia Island, July 23, 2026):
Our thoughts are with the passengers, the pilot, and their families after this week’s floatplane crash in the San Juan Islands. We are grateful that all aboard survived, and we are keeping the injured in our thoughts as they recover.
Aviation Law Group is closely monitoring the investigation. Our preliminary analysis can be read here. If you or a loved one was aboard, we are here to help. Contact us confidentially at info@aviationlawgroup.com or call us directly at 206-464-1166.

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

Casey DuBose
Attorney 10+ years
Commercial Pilot
Flight Instructor
Fluent Mandarin Chinese
Professor of Aviation and Space Law

Kerry Kovarik
Attorney 16+ years
Commercial Pilot
Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Former FAA Authorized Inspector

Chris Rusing
Attorney 20+ years
Airline Pilot & Instructor
Airbus 320 Series Captain

Brendan Keegan
Attorney 3+ years
Pilot 15+ years
Airline Pilot & Instructor
Boeing 737 First Officer
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
Specialized Legal Considerations for Delta Flight 4819 Passengers: International Treaties and Remedies
Unlike airline accidents that occur on domestic flights within the United States, such as the horrific events of American Airlines 5342 where Federal or State law will govern, international accidents can be governed by Treaty, specifically the Montreal Convention.
Aviation Law Group Attorneys Find Concerning Similarities Between Bering Air Cessna Caravan Accident and 2021 Caravan Accident Near Fairbanks
In 2021, a Cessna Caravan operating in Alaska encountered severe icing, spun towards the ground, and came within moments of crashing. That accident and the Bering Air accident have similarities that cannot be overlooked.
From Night Vision Goggles to Human Factors: How Multiple Variables Converged in the KDCA Accident
According to NTSB, PAT25 impacted American Airlines 5342 at an altitude of roughly 325 feet, 125 feet above the altitude restrictions for the helicopter in the area.
7 killed in a mid-Air collision in Alaska including a member of the State Legislature.
In three weeks, there have been three deadly mid-air collisions between commercial operators and general aviation aircraft. It is an unprecedented series of avoidable accidents in a year where the FAA mandated technology that should make this less common. The accident...
4 Killed in Utah Mountainous Terrain Crash
The 4th of July holiday weekend is one of the busier times of the year for general aviation. Unfortunately, this also means that there are often tragedies that mar the festivities. In this case, a Cessna 172 that was rented from a Salt Lake and Spanish Fork-based...
8 Feared Dead in Midair Crash over Coeur d’Alene
Local witnesses and pilots report that it was a direct collision between Coeur d'Alene-based scenic floatplane operator Brooks Seaplane in a Beaver and an unidentified general aviation Cessna 206 out of Lewiston. Aviation Law Group has handled many seaplane accidents...
Seaplane Crashes in Lake Washington
Wednesday evening was punctuated by a seaplane crash in Lake Washington. The two occupants were rescued by a private boat and are reported to be uninjured. The cause is to be determined. This accident happend within hearshot of Bob's front yard. He went to...
Glider Tow Plane Crash in Hawaii
Dillingham Airfield on the north shore of Oahu suffered a second deadly air crash by a commercial operation within a year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5qvWvWp9tQ The Cessna 305A crashed shortly after takeoff from the field. The aircraft is a tow plane for...
Two charter crashes in two days of Alaska aviation
Last week was marred by two crashes of part 135 operators in Alaska - one minor and one tragic. On February 5th, the first incident was lost of control during the take-off of a Cessna 208 in Hooper Bay. The aircraft was operated by Grant Aviation and there were no...
Kobe Bryant’s accident was entirely avoidable
A Sikorsky S-76 that was operated by Island Express Helicopters (the operators took down their website shortly after the crash) crashed this morning in Calabasas, California killing 9 people. While there will be an FAA investigation, the abundance of evidence suggests...
A bad year for Hawaii Scenic Flights – 7 killed in Kauai
The day after Christmas was marred by the third commercial helicopter crash in Hawaii this year. Following a day-long search for the Safari Helicopter operated tour, the crash site was found with the remains of the 7 perished occupants. Rough Terrain of Kauai These...
Hedrick Speaks To The Bar of Ireland On Trials In The U.S.
(L-R J.J. Camp QC, Associate Counsel, CFM Lawyers, Canada, Micheál P O’Higgins SC, Chairman Council of The Bar of Ireland, Ireland, Sigrid Preissl, Managing Partner, Bourayne & Preissl, France, Robert F. Hedrick, Attorney, Aviation Law Group PS, Seattle, Niamh...
NTSB begins inquiry into Fatal South Dakota PC-12 Crash
The busiest traveling weekend of the year was marred by multiple general aviation accidents across the county. The worst of involved a Pilatus PC-12 that crashed shortly after takeoff from Chamberlain Municipal Airport (9V9) which 9 of the 12 people on board the...
Hedrick Speaks To Canadian Bar Association On The Future Of Helicopter External Load Technology
On October 30, 2019 Robert Hedrick gave a PowerPoint presentation to the Air Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association in Vancouver, British Columbia, on: Drone Technology For Helicopters And Beyond: The Legal Landscape. Robert discussed new drone technology that...
Fatal Alaska Crash ends 6 years of airline safety
A PenAir codeshare flight for Alaska Airlines overran the runway at Unalaska, AK (USA) with 38 passengers and 3 crew. The aircraft came to a stop about 125 meters/400 feet past the end of the runway partially hanging down a slope into the sea, the left-hand propeller...
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.











