When a small aircraft or helicopter goes down, the people left behind are owed real answers, not a rushed settlement. Presley & Presley Trial Lawyers represents passengers, crew, and families across Missouri and Kansas after general aviation crashes, small airplane and helicopter accidents, and related aviation losses. We also handle commercial and charter cases when they arise. Our practice is built around catastrophic injury and wrongful death, and aviation is one of the areas we are known for.
These are not ordinary injury cases, and they are not handled well by firms that see one every few years. The cause usually lives in the technical record rather than in eyewitness accounts, the responsible party is often more than one company, and the evidence is controlled by federal investigators in the early weeks. Knowing how to work inside that reality is the difference between a case that holds together and one that does not.
Recognized for this work
Jill Presley has been named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Aviation Law in Kansas City in 2023 and 2025. Only one lawyer in a metro area receives that designation in a given practice area each year.
Kirk R. Presley is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026 in Aviation Law, and has been named Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” in Kansas City in Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (2024 and 2022) and Litigation – Insurance (2025 and 2021).
Those two areas sit at the center of most plane and helicopter crash cases. Product liability reaches the manufacturers of the aircraft, the engine, and the components when a defect contributes to a crash. Insurance litigation governs how aviation policies respond, and whether an insurer handles a catastrophic claim in good faith.
Between the two, our partners bring the specific recognition, trial record, and resources these cases demand.
Representative results
- $11.5 million recovery in a twin-turboprop crash caused by a turbine engine overhaul and reinstallation failure
- $4.5 million recovery for the surviving daughter of a paramedic killed in a medical transport helicopter crash
- $3 million recovery in the death of a pilot when a maintenance failure brought down a piston-engine aircraft
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. See the disclaimer at the bottom of this page.
Why these cases are different
A car crash usually involves one or two drivers. A plane or helicopter crash rarely works that way. Responsibility can rest with several parties at once, and identifying each of them takes people who understand how these aircraft are operated, maintained, and built.
Depending on the facts, the parties who may bear responsibility include:
- The operator that flew the aircraft, including charter, air tour, flight school, air ambulance, and parachute-jump operations
- The maintenance provider or mechanics responsible for inspections, repairs, and airworthiness
- The aircraft manufacturer, and the makers of individual components such as the engine, controls, or fuel system
- Other parties in some cases, including fuel handlers, weather services, or those responsible for ground operations
Federal Aviation Regulations set the duties that apply to each of these parties. A violation of those regulations can support a negligence claim, but proving one requires reading the technical and regulatory record correctly. Aviation operations are governed by negligence standards rather than automatic liability, and the product liability claims against manufacturers follow their own rules. Sorting out which theory fits which party is much of the work.
Who May Be Liable for an Aviation Accident?
Aircraft and aviation accidents rarely result from a single cause but involve chains of events where multiple parties may bear legal responsibility. Successful aviation litigation requires identifying potential defendants and their respective roles in causing accidents.
Aircraft operators face primary responsibility for safe flight operations under various federal regulations. Part 121 commercial carriers must meet the highest safety standards, while Part 135 charter operations and Part 91 general aviation flights operate under different regulatory frameworks that affect liability exposure.
Maintenance providers bear significant responsibility for aircraft airworthiness through required inspections, repairs, and compliance with service bulletins. Inadequate maintenance, use of defective parts, or failure to follow manufacturer instructions can create liability when mechanical failures contribute to accidents.
General aviation, small aircraft, and parachute-jump operations
General aviation is the largest part of flying around Kansas City, and it is the part of this practice we handle most. Private aircraft, flight training, air tours, recreational flying, and skydiving and parachute-jump flights all create real risk, and most of these operations run under Part 91 of the federal rules rather than the stricter standards that apply to major airlines.
Parachute-jump operations are worth singling out. These flights carry jumpers in small turbine aircraft that take off heavy and climb hard, and the questions that follow a jump-plane crash often center on maintenance, engine performance, and the operator's safety practices. The same operator, maintenance, and manufacturer framework above maps directly onto these crashes. Federal safety investigators have repeatedly raised concerns about the oversight of jump operations, which makes experienced, independent investigation on the family's side especially important.
Flight training crashes raise their own questions about instructors, students, schools, and the aircraft the school maintains. Ownership structures, partnerships, and leasing arrangements can also affect who is responsible for an aircraft's upkeep and insurance.
Helicopter crashes
Helicopters present distinct risks because of their rotor systems, demanding flight profiles, and the conditions they often operate in. Kansas City area helicopter cases can involve medical transport, law enforcement, news, and corporate flights.
Air ambulance crashes are among the most difficult. These operations face pressure to complete flights in marginal weather, and that pressure can override sound safety decisions. When a medical helicopter goes down, the questions usually involve weather decision-making, pilot training and rest, maintenance under a demanding schedule, and whether commercial pressure compromised safety.
Commercial and charter cases
We focus on general aviation, but we do not foreclose commercial and charter work. Charter flights under Part 135 face a higher standard than private flying and a different one than the major airlines. Commercial airline cases bring extensive federal oversight, multiple passengers, and, on international flights, the Montreal Convention, which shapes how damages and procedure work. When a case like this fits the firm, we are equipped to handle it or to bring in the right co-counsel.
Wrongful death and the value of a claim
Many aviation crashes are fatal, and for families the case becomes a wrongful death claim. Missouri law decides who may bring that claim and in what order, generally beginning with a spouse, children, and parents, and it sets a deadline that is shorter than many people expect. A claim cannot undo the loss. What it can do is hold the responsible parties accountable and provide for the family's future, including the loss of financial support, the loss of the care and companionship the person provided, and the expenses the family has carried. Where a death results from especially serious misconduct, the law allows additional damages aimed at accountability.
You can read more in plain terms about what families can expect after an aviation crash (link to family guide once live).
When the injured person survives, aviation crashes tend to cause severe harm, and the damages reflect that: emergency and surgical care, long-term rehabilitation, lifetime care for brain and spinal injuries or serious burns, lost earnings, reduced earning capacity, and the household contributions the person can no longer make.
How we handle these cases
Our approach is built around the parts of an aviation case that decide the outcome.
- We move early to preserve evidence. The wreckage, the engine, maintenance and inspection records, training and duty records, fuel samples, and any recorded data are the heart of the case, and some of it can be lost if no one acts. We send preservation notices and put the responsible parties on notice quickly.
- We work alongside the federal investigation without interfering with it. The NTSB leads, the FAA assists, and a civil case has to respect that process while protecting the family's separate interests.
- We bring in the right experts. Engineers, pilots, and accident reconstruction specialists who can read the technical record are essential, and we have the relationships to retain them.
- And when several families are affected by the same crash, we coordinate in a way that protects each family rather than setting them against one another.
A note on the General Aviation Revitalization Act
In general aviation product liability cases, manufacturers often raise the General Aviation Revitalization Act, which can bar claims against the maker of an aircraft older than eighteen years. The protection is real, but it has important limits. It may not apply where the manufacturer made misrepresentations, where the problem involves inadequate maintenance instructions or service bulletins, or where replacement parts and major modifications fall outside the statute's protection. Knowing how to work within and around GARA is part of handling these cases well.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do after a plane or helicopter crash?
Get medical care, keep any documents and correspondence, and avoid signing anything or giving a recorded statement to an operator or insurer before you have advice. The most useful early step is to have a lawyer send preservation notices so the evidence is protected. You do not have to decide everything at once.
How long do aviation investigations take?
The NTSB usually issues a brief preliminary report within about thirty days, and the full investigation generally takes twelve to twenty-four months. A civil case can move forward in parallel, which is one reason early evidence work matters.
Do I need an attorney if an insurance company is already offering a settlement?
A settlement offered before the investigation is anywhere near complete rarely reflects what a claim is worth, and signing a release can permanently end your rights. It is reasonable to have any early offer reviewed before you respond.
Can I file a claim if the pilot was at fault?
Often yes. Pilot or operator negligence is a common basis for a claim, and there may be additional responsible parties such as a maintenance provider or a manufacturer. Even where a family member was the pilot, there may still be claims against others involved.
What if the crash happened outside Kansas City?
Where a case is filed and which state's law applies depend on the facts, but a crash on Missouri soil is usually governed by Missouri law. We handle cases across Missouri and Kansas and coordinate with counsel elsewhere when needed. Families who live out of state can still pursue a claim.
Talk with us when you are ready
If you have lost someone or been seriously hurt in a plane or helicopter crash, you are welcome to contact Presley & Presley Trial Lawyers to talk through your situation. There is no cost to speak with us and no pressure to decide before you are ready.
Presley & Presley Trial Lawyers - (816) 931-4611
Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future outcomes. Every case is different and must be judged on its own facts. This page is attorney advertising and provides general information, not legal advice. For advice about a specific matter, consult a licensed attorney.