Whether you are a professional pilot or a hobbyist with a personal plane, maintaining proper protocol is essential for airplanes. Flying may be the safest way to travel, statistically speaking, but taking appropriate safety measures is how it stays safe. That is why you should make sure to take these five safety measures to prevent potential airplane accidents:

  1. Always perform maintenance before flying
    • Maintaining an airplane can be time-consuming and expensive, even for relatively small planes. It can thus be tempting to skip maintenance and inspections and just get to flying, especially if you have not experienced any mechanical issues recently. However, if you want to avoid airplane accidents, ensuring your plane is well-maintained is essential, because it reduces the risk of serious mechanical failure.
  2. Watch the weather for unsafe flying conditions
    • Flying through a storm may be exciting in a book or movie, but can be life-threatening in the real world. Strong winds, heavy fog, and other dangerous weather conditions can substantially increase the risk of airplane accidents. That is why you should always check the weather before flying, and stay on the ground if things seem like they may become unsafe.
  3. Do not fly if you are feeling tired or sick
    • Flying a plane is a job that requires an extraordinary amount of attention and skill, which makes it both impressive and risky, even under ideal circumstances. However, if you are tired or sick, you cannot perform as well as you could if you were well-rested and healthy. This dramatically increases the risk of a serious pilot error that could lead to an accident.
  4. Always pay attention to your instruments
    • No matter how sharp your eyesight or acute your hearing, there are always things that the instruments in your plane can tell you that your own senses cannot. Paying attention to your instruments can inform you of critical mechanical issues or potential errors before you have realized there is anything wrong, giving you the most time possible to address them. This can help you avoid airplane accidents related to issues like reduced visibility, spatial disorientation, or other factors.
  5. Pay attention to safety recalls
    • Just like any other manufactured device, the parts in your plane may be subject to a recall if there is something defective with them. If a recall is issued for your plane, you should pay attention and get the problem dealt with as soon as possible. That way, you minimize the risk of a serious mechanical failure that may cause an accident.

If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, you should contact the Tennessee personal injury lawyers at the Keith Williams Law Group. With convenient offices located in Nashville and Lebanon, our lawyers will work with you to create a litigation strategy that protects your legal rights and serves your personal needs. For more information or a free consultation, please contact us at 615-444-2900 or visit our contact page.