Family of Clearwater, FL Victim Retains Kreindler Following Beechcraft Bonanza Crash
February 2, 2024
On the evening of Thursday, February 1, a Beechcraft V35B Bonanza crashed into a mobile home park in Clearwater, Florida. According to a Tampa Bay Times article, the pilot had reported an engine failure three miles north of the aircraft’s destination, Clearwater-Executive Airport. The pilot of the Bonanza and two people inside the Bayside Waters mobile home were killed.
The Beechcraft Bonanza, N6659L, is registered to Control Data, Inc. out of Indianapolis, Indiana. The V35B was a fixed-wing single-engine airplane equipped with a Continental O-520 aircraft engine.
In the Media
Preliminary Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of the investigation according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
About Beechcraft Aircraft
The Beechcraft Bonanza, introduced in 1947, has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history. It is manufactured by Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, KS, and has a long and storied history. Beeccraft also manufactures other models including the Baron amd the Debonair.
Beechcraft Bonanza airplanes has been involved in numerous notable crashes, including:
- Rock and roll pioneer Buddy Holly was killed as a result of a Beechcraft Bonanza 35 crash.
- Country Musician Jim Reeves was killed as a result of a Beechcraft Bonanza Debonair crash.
- Musician Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist) was killed as a result of a Beechcraft Bonanza F35 crash.
- Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak was seriously injured, but survived the crash of his own Beechcraft Bonanza A36TC which he was piloting.
Kreindler Experience with Beechcraft Accident Cases
Our firm has worked on numerous accident cases involving Beechcraft airplanes, including a similar tragic fatal crash in which a Beechcraft Bonanza experienced engine failure and crashed into a residential neighborhood. Kreindler partner Justin Green, a veteran military and commercially licensed pilot, and Kreindler partner Vincent Lesch, successfully settled that case after thoroughly examining evidence and investigating all possible causes to determine if the crash resulted from a product failure. The lawsuit alleged that the Champion Aerospace 6300 series magnetos were “defective and not fit for safe operation and use on the subject airplane.”
Kreindler cases involving Beechcraft aircraft, include:
- Beechcraft A36 Bonanza, Altitude Aviation, Inc., San Diego, California
- Beechcraft C35 Bonanza, FAA and Air Traffic Control, Hicksville, NY
- Hawker 800, East Coast Jets Flight 81, Owatonna, MN
- Beechcraft 1900, Air Serv International, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA)
General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA) is a tort reform measure passed by Congress in 1994 limiting how long manufacturers can be held liable for accidents involving aircraft that are 18 years or older at the time of the accident. There are some exceptions to the rules, but this statute of repose can protect manufacturers from liability. While GARA was meant to address the impact of extended product liability on general aviation aircraft manufacturers, it doesn’t completely shield manufacturers from responsibility. In some situations, manufacturers can be held liable for accidents involving their products, and Kreindler attorneys have successfully overcome this measure.
About Kreindler & Kreindler
Kreindler is the preeminent aviation accident law firm in the world. Our attorneys have been appointed leading counsel in nearly every major commercial airline disaster case in the U.S. and abroad. Our aviation accident attorneys include veteran military pilots Justin Green (USMC), Brian Alexander (U.S. Army) and Dan Rose (U.S. Navy). Partner Brian Alexander served as a helicopter and fixed-wing pilot and flew medevac missions. Since 1950, our lawyers have fought diligently to achieve an unprecedented record of success in resolving plane and helicopter crash cases on behalf of our clients. Kreindler maintains offices in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles.