Specialists Call For Answers Over Cessna Incident

Aviation law experts at Irwin Mitchell have called for prompt answers as to what caused the crash of a light aircraft in Florida in which two Britons were killed.

Trainee pilot Carly Beattie, 21, and her brother Daniel, 24, from Midlothian, were fatally injured when the Cessna 152 aircraft they were travelling in came down in woodland close to the Blue Cypress Lake last week.

Reports have revealed that Ms Beattie, who was also a promising athlete and had represented Scotland, was on an Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training course at Buckinghamshire New University.

It is thought that police in the US used a mobile phone signal to trace the site of the crash. Experts from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are believed to be investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Irwin Mitchell aviation law experts represent victims who have been seriously injured in aircraft crashes across the globe, as well as the families of those who have sadly died in such incidents.

Former RAF pilot Jim Morris, who is a partner in the Irwin Mitchell Aviation Law team, said that investigators will need to work quickly and thoroughly to discover the circumstances which led to this fatal crash.

He explained: “We are deeply concerned to hear about this incident and urge authorities to gather as much information as possible to determine why this occurred.”

“The Cessna 152 is a widely used single engine aircraft so it is vital to determine whether a fault with the engine, or another aircraft component, caused or contributed to the crash. We have represented a number of people were seriously injured or whose loved ones were killed in other Cessna crashes around the world in countries including Venezuela, Tanzania, Peru, Malawi and England. 

“A prompt and thorough air accident investigation is essential to answer questions that will no doubt be raised by the families of those who tragically died in this incident. The investigation may also play an important part in improving future flight safety.

“We hope that the US NTSB are able to provide answers related to this as soon as possible, so that lessons can quickly be learnt to ensure that no one else suffers in the same manner.”