One Briton Killed In Incident

The safety of business jets is likely to come under scrutiny following a plane crash in Iraq which led to the deaths of all seven passengers and crewmembers onboard, according to an aviation law expert at Irwin Mitchell.

One Briton was among those killed in the incident, which saw a Raytheon Hawker 900 scheduled to fly to Ankara in Turkey come down shortly after take-off from Sulaimaniyah Airport.

Reports have suggested that the aircraft, a twin-engine light jet commonly used for corporate purposes, caught fire before it crashed. Authorities have suggested a mechanical failure was behind the incident.

Irwin Mitchell’s Aviation Law team has represented the loved ones of those tragically killed in many aircraft crashes around the world, including those fatally injured in incidents involving business jets and other light aircraft.

Notable cases it has advised on in the past few years include the Complete Charter Services Cessna Citation 501 crash in March 2008, as well as a Mexican government Learjet 45 incident in Mexico City in November of that year.

Jim Morris, a former RAF pilot and Partner in the team, said: “Through our experience dealing with the cases of those injured or killed in plane crashes, it is often highlighted that many of the incidents are caused by defects or failures.

“Reports that this may be yet another case to add to the list are a major concern and I hope that the authorities will thoroughly investigate the matter in order to promptly identify what went wrong.  The outcome of this investigation may well lead to improvements in flight safety in the operation of other business jets.

“The devastating, traumatic impact that plane crashes have on the loved ones of those involved cannot be underestimated, and the families of those killed in this tragic incident will undoubtedly be seeking answers as to how this came to pass.”