For information on earlier
crashes and Lieff Global experience, click
here.
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*Our representation of clients in these
cases has been by Lieff Global attorneys while at Lieff Global
or prior to their joining our firm.
Chalk's Ocean Airways Grumman G-72 Mallard Crash
Summary of Accident
On December 19,
2005, a seaplane operated by Chalk's Ocean
Airways en route the Bahamas crashed shortly after
takeoff from Miami, killing all 20 people on board.
The World War II-era Grumman
G-73 Mallard had just lifted off when witnesses
said they heard an explosion and then saw the plane
break apart in the air. Amateur video showed what
appeared to be the main fuselage slamming into
the water, followed by a large ball of fire --
possibly one of its wings.
The accident ends a historic
run for Chalk's Ocean Airways, which claims to
be the oldest US airline and one that has never
had a fatal crash with passengers on board. The
airline got its start in 1919 as Chalk's Flying
Service, named after auto mechanic Arthur B. Chalk.
The Grumman Mallard involved
in the accident was built in 1947. The company
said that it bought several of the rare seaplanes,
which are considered large for today's use, in
the late 1970s and retrofitted them with 17 passenger
seats.
Families whose
loved ones died in the Bellview Airlines
disaster are welcome to contact
a lawyer at Lieff Global to
learn more about their legal rights.
We welcome the opportunity to answer
your questions free of charge and without
obligation.
Grumman, now part of Northrop Grumman,
built 59 of the planes through 1950. Like its name, the plane's
profile resembles a duck with high fixed wings that sit taller
than the cockpit windows and a fuselage with a low-hanging
belly.
The Legal Rights of Families Whose Loved
Ones Die in Airplane Disasters
We appreciate that this is a time of
deep pain and grieving for the spouses, children and families
of the passengers and crew who died in the seaplane crash.
As time passes, you may have questions concerning how and why
the crash occurred, your legal rights, compensation that is
available to you, and the duties and legal responsibility of
the aircraft operator or manufacturer, or other potentially
responsible parties such as maintenance companies and government
agencies.
Because the aircraft was in the course
of an international flight, the rights of the passengers
and their survivors are governed by the terms of the Montreal
Convention of 1999, a treaty that has been adopted by both
the United States and the Bahamas. Attorneys at LCHB
are well versed in the terms of the Convention and can
advise you on its application to your case.
For answers to frequently asked questions
concerning aviation accidents, please click here.
Contact Lieff Global
Families whose loved ones died in this
crash are welcome to contact Lieff Global to learn more about
their legal rights without any charge or obligation. Please send
us an e-mail message. Alternatively, you may telephone
us toll-free at 1-800-541-7358 in the U.S., or 1-415-788-8000
from outside the U.S.
About Lieff Global
Lieff Global, LLP, is an AV-rated law
firm with offices in San Francisco and New York, and affiliate
offices worldwide. Our representation has included both Americans
and people residing in Europe and Asia in aviation lawsuits
filed worldwide.
Lieff Global is uniquely positioned
to answer your questions and represent your interests. Our
attorneys have over forty years of experience litigating airplane
crash cases worldwide. We have relationships with the foremost
experts in the fields of aviation safety and disaster analysis.
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