Aircraft Accidents may be the result of pilot error, failure of the aircraft, improper maintenance, air traffic control error, weather, terrorism, or other possible factors. There are considerable and complex engineering issues at work and the answers are rarely simple. It requires a team of experienced experts to analyze the factors involved in any aviation accident. The attorneys of the Onder Law Firm possess the aviation accident litigation expertise for cases invovling personal airplane accidents, corporate aircraft accidents and commercial airline accidents.
While countless studies have been conducted on the “causes” of aircraft accidents, many of these studies attribute pilot error as the cause of 50-75% of aircraft accidents. In truth, there is rarely a single cause for an aircraft accident. Instead, aircraft accidents are the result of a chain of several causes that when placed together by circumstance create a catastrophic outcome. When an aircraft accident occurs, the government entity that investigates aircraft crashes, the National Transportation Safety Board or NTSB, generally makes quick work of general aviation accidents and often uses the aircraft or component manufacturer to perform the post accident tests on the aircraft systems. Little is said about this conflict of interest and without having hired an aviation accident attorney to assert their rights; the families of the crash victims have no representative to ensure that a proper investigation and finding of fault occurs. This system allows the wealthy and powerful corporations that manufacture aircraft and aircraft components to police themselves for safety.
The Onder Law Firm has a team of successful trial attorneys, pilots, instructors, aviation engineers and accident investigators capable of understanding the highly complex nature of all airplane accidents, regardless of aircraft size or type and the circumstances surrounding each accident. The attorneys of the Onder Law Firm will vigorously pursue your aviation accident claim with the highest level of technical knowledge, legal expertise and compassion.
Despite known threats to the safety of air travelers, the corporations that manufacture and operate aircraft rarely are self-motivated to make necessary changes for safety as they are usually costly and a hindrance to profits. Only when threatened by the larger economic losses of a lawsuit does safety become a concern.
Aviation Accident Litigation Expertise
The Onder Law Firm is committed to increasing aviation safety and enforcing victims’ rights by putting together a phenomenally experienced team of successful trial attorneys, lawyer-pilots, and the most highly experienced group of advisors and investigators in the field of aviation. Our team includes a former US Air Force General, the former Chief Pilot of a Major Airline, the former Chief Pilot of a Fortune 500 Corporation flight department, a former Senior Aircraft Systems Engineer at McDonnell Douglas, a former director of maintenance of a Fortune 500 Corporation flight department, a former NTSB investigator, a NASA Engineer, a director of pilot training for a major airline, an Alaska bush pilot, and a 10,000 flight hour helicopter pilot.
Part of the Onder Law Firm's expertise stems from in house aviation consultant John Wall. Wall grew up with deep roots in aviation. His father flew a B-24 in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II and was the recipient of a Distinguished Flying Cross. Following the war, Mr. Wall along with aviation legend Jack Adams founded one of the countries earliest aircraft sales and brokerage firms near Memphis, TN and played a part in the birth of Federal Express. John’s mother was one of the first 100 women to become an Airline Transport Pilot and a licensed helicopter pilot. His brother is a pilot at Federal Express. Because of the variety of aircraft that passed through the company, John grew up flying a diverse range of airplanes earning his instrument single and multi-engine commercial pilot certificates by the time he was 18 and his first turbojet type rating before he was 21. John has logged nearly 10,000 accident free flight hours in a wide variety of general aviation aircraft. He holds a current FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate, is type rated in several turbojet aircraft, and has served as a contract captain and first officer for the flight departments of Fortune 500 Corporations and private flight departments. Prior to attending law school, John handled the acquisition, sale, and management of numerous corporate aircraft. John is also an FAA Certified Flight Instructor and actively instructs in tailwheel and float equipped airplanes.
Additionally, John holds a United States Parachute Association (USPA) Class D (Expert) Parachutist License and is a Freefall, Tandem, and Static Line instructor. In 2008 he was nominated to the position of Safety and Training Administrator (S&TA) for the USPA’s Central Region.
John is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Sciences and is a graduate of the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law.
John’s years of involvement in the aviation industry have come at a cost, as he has lost close friends and loved ones to tragic aviation accidents that could have been prevented. Because of this, he has a vast interest in continually increasing aircraft safety.
