Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

Federal investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a deadly plane crash that claimed the lives of three families. An autopsy is being conducted on the body of pilot Ellison Summerfield to determine whether a medical emergency could have cause him to crash the private plane into a cemetery where it burst into flames. No one on the plane survived.

The Pilatus PC-12 was transporting three families to a Montana ski resort when the deadly accident happened. Killed in the aviation crash were Summerfield, passengers Amy and Erin Jacobson and their children Taylor, 4, Ava, 3, and Jude, 1, Vanessa and Michael Pullen and their children Sydney, 9, and Christopher, 7, Kristen and Brent Ching, and their children Heiley, 5, and Caleb, 3. The three couples had been friends in college and graduate school before becoming established in medical professions and starting their families.

Summerfield had reportedly engaged in several communications, including a request to divert the plane from its original landing destination, prior to the crash. None of those communications indicated he was concerned that anything was amiss with the aircraft.

The private plane was not carrying a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder. Officials are hoping that the engine performance record they recovered from the crash site might be able to shed some light on what happened. The adult victims’ cell phone records might also be examined for clues.

Overload may have also been a factor in causing the plane crash. The Pilatus PC-12 is designed to carry 10 people and there were 14 people on the plane.

Aviation Accident Lawsuits
It can be very challenging, even for federal aviation officials, to determine the cause of a plane crash. If someone you love was killed in an aviation accident, the best way to ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive all of the compensation your family is owed is to speak with an experienced Illinois plane crash law firm about your personal injury or wrongful death case.

Montana plane crash shatters 3 families, Seattle Times, March 24, 2009

Onboard Device Could Offer Clue to Montana Crash, New York Times, March 24, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Federal Aviation Administration

National Transportation Safety Board