AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Attorneys from the law firm Slack Davis Sanger have been prosecuting the crash of a Pilatus PC-12 in Nevada that occurred late February 24. Friday’s fatal flight took off from Reno, Nevada and was en route to Salt Lake City with a patient, a family member, two medical crew members and a pilot. The National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) is investigating the fatal accident, which occurred shortly after the plane departed from Reno.

Yesterday, the NTSB reported that the plane, a single-engine turboprop, suffered a so-called catastrophic airframe structural failure. Michael L. Slack, who heads the company’s aviation practice, stresses that the NTSB did not elaborate on why the airframe elements might have failed. The elements that separated from the aircraft occurred before the impact of the remaining debris.

According to Slack, who has treated cases of aircraft structural failures, “catastrophic failures of aerodynamic elements are typically associated with excessive airspeed or acceleration loads that together exceed the structural limits of the airframe. We have seen cases where in-flight loss of control introduced excessive loads that led to structural failure. The NTSB will examine the wreck to determine why and when the structural failure occurred.”

Slack, a former NASA engineer, is a seasoned litigator on major aviation matters in the United States. He was lead counsel for plaintiffs and heard the claims litigation that resulted in the resolution of all claims arising from the Reno Air Disaster at the 2011 Reno Air Races. During his career, Slack has litigated or tried lawsuits in 36 different states, including Nevada and Utah. He has represented clients on all facets of aviation disasters, including major aircraft accidents to private aviation accidents.

As more information is developed and released by the NTSB, Slack is available to provide insight into the investigative process and…