Author Archives: J. Brooks Davis
Family gets $6.8 million in lawsuit over fatal mid-air plane crash in Moncks Corner
By Angie Jackson, The Post & Courier Relatives of a Berkeley County father and son killed when an Air Force jet rammed into their Cessna over Moncks Corner in 2015 will receive a $6.8 million settlement from the federal government. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel approved the wrongful death settlement during a hearing Friday where he… Read More »
FAA’s restrictions on drones withstand a hobbyist’s legal challenge
By Bloomberg The U.S. government’s ability to police hobbyist drone use was upheld by an appellate court Friday in a ruling that helps set the stage for a series of new restrictions and requirements that aviation regulators hope to enact soon. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday rejected arguments by… Read More »
NATA Forms Illegal Charter Task Force to Address a Top Industry Concern
June 1, 2018 NATA has announced an initiative to combat illegal charter, addressing a growing concern among members and the industry. The announcement follows several months of collaboration with its membership and Air Charter Committee, and meetings with the FAA to highlight the necessary steps to strengthen the association’s efforts to protect this vital industry…. Read More »
Municipal courts did not provide required counsel for indigents
By Heath Hamacher, South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Two Lowcountry municipal courts are going to have to defend allegations that they unconstitutionally incarcerated numerous indigent defendants without providing counsel, a federal judge has ruled. In Bairefoot v. City of Beaufort, several plaintiffs state Section 1983 claims for violations of the Sixth Amendment and the equal protection clause… Read More »
Safety last: Lies and coverups mask roots of small-plane carnage
By Thomas Frank, USA Today A tragedy in Iowa BLAME SHIFTS FROM PILOTS TO HIDDEN DEFECTS, DANGEROUS DESIGNS The first flight of 8-year-old Caryn Stewart’s life was supposed to be a quick sightseeing tour over eastern Iowa in her uncle’s four-seat Piper Cherokee. Nervous and excited, she sat quietly behind her mother and next to her… Read More »
FAA REAUTHORIZATION BILL 2.0 INTRODUCED IN THE HOUSE
By AOPA Communications Staff The revised bipartisan bill has found much more support among Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster’s (R-Pa.) colleagues sans ATC “privatization.” H.R. 4 was introduced by the entire leadership of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its six subcommittees including Shuster, Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank… Read More »
1 dead in Southwest Airlines flight emergency landing in Philadelphia
By CBS News PHILADELPHIA —A Southwest Airlines jet apparently blew an engine and got hit by shrapnel that smashed a window and damaged the fuselage Tuesday. Southwest Flight 1380 was flying at about 30,000 feet when the explosion took place. The incident killed one passenger and injured seven others, authorities said. The plane, a Boeing… Read More »
Jail population falls, but release of violent re-offenders worries Charleston prosecutor
By Angie Jackson, The Post and Courier A council tasked with local criminal justice reform on Wednesday touted collaborative efforts that officials say have contributed to a “tremendous” drop in the population at the Charleston County jail in recent years. At the same time, Charleston’s top prosecutor expressed concern about repeat violent offenders being released back… Read More »
6 Killed in Plane Crash at Arizona Golf Course
By Matthew Haag, The New York Times A single-engine plane carrying six people crashed on an Arizona golf course shortly after takeoff on Monday evening, killing everyone on board, the authorities said. Moments after the plane took off from the Scottsdale Airport around 8:45 p.m., it went down in a fiery crash on the TPC Scottsdale… Read More »