December 01, 2005

Chicago Lawyer Urges Small Aircraft Warning After Fatal Crash of Skokie Pilot

As Chicagoans were shivering from the Winter’s first blast of snow, noted aviation attorney Donald J. Nolan urged extra caution in flying private aircraft into icing conditions after the death of an experienced Skokie pilot in Michigan.

“Just last week, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended air safety improvements that we have been seeking for some time,” Mr. Nolan commented. “With winter upon us, now is the time for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take action related to the safety of flight into icing conditions.”

Tougher rules in this area might have saved the life of Mr. Suhel Polis, the cargo pilot who crashed on November 16, 2005, as he was trying to land in snowy weather in Northern Michigan. Polis was flying a twin-engine Aero Commander.

“It may take a year or more for the NTSB to determine the probable cause of the crash,” Mr. Nolan observed. “The FAA has certified many of these small planes to fly into icing conditions based mainly on the data submitted by the manufacturers. It’s become obvious that the standards and procedures for certification need to be tightened in order to prevent future tragedies like this one.” In the meantime, Nolan urges the pilots and passengers of small aircraft to exercise extreme caution about flying into icing conditions.

About Nolan Law Group
Nolan Law Group helps individuals and families, in Chicago and around the world, after a tragic loss or serious personal injury. The law firm focuses its practice primarily on mass tort aviation and closed brain injury litigation.

Nolan Law Group is one of small number of law firms with a niche in the highly complex and ever-changing area of aviation litigation and is active all over the world. With regard to traumatic brain injury litigation, Nolan Law Group has pioneered the use of sophisticated technology to demonstrate the extent of brain damage that can occur as a result of accidents.

The firm has earned recognition by the legal industry’s leading authority, Martindale-Hubbell, for impeccable professional ethics and for legal abilities of the highest caliber.

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