Kreindler Investigates the Learjet Crash that Took the Life of Jenni Rivera
Attorney
The Learjet air crash on Sunday, December 8, 2012, that tragically took the life of the remarkable and talented superstar Jenni Rivera is being studied by Kreindler & Kreindler. Aspects of the air crash are strikingly similar to a 2001 aviation accident that Kreindler successfully handled. That 2001 crash took the life of Aaliyah, the 22-year-old rising musical and film talent destined for the kind of greatness that Ms. Rivera achieved.
While early news reports and public statements about the most recent Learjet crash from government agencies offer only preliminary and unverified suggestions about the crash sequence and the events preceding the reported nose-dive of the plane carrying Ms. Rivera and others to Mexico, the known facts offer some important information that must be considered in the proximate cause analysis. Learjet aircraft, especially the Lear 24/25 series, are very responsive to pilot inputs and quite unforgiving if the pilot gets “behind the curve” or if the pilot is not alert or lacks the requisite skill to manage unusual attitude maneuvers from which recovery can be problematic. Pilot induced or a mechanical failure, for example, can induce a flight condition from which recovery is virtually impossible, especially when the plane is in a nose-down attitude. A flight control problem or system failure must be high on the list of potential causes. If a flight control malfunction is identified, it could indicate either a product or manufacturing defect or a maintenance shortfall. At this point, there is no indication that weather or an air traffic control error contributed to the aircraft’s departures from the last reported 28,000-foot altitude. Determining whether a mechanical problem caused or contributed to the crash will be complicated by the post-crash condition of the severely damaged wreckage. Kreindler partners have handled and resolved numerous Learjet crash cases involving both design issues and pilot error.
For more information, contact Marc S. Moller.