Aviation crashes are much rarer than most other kinds of accidents, but when they happen, the consequences are often among the most devastating. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), general aviation accidents, meaning smaller private aircraft, account for most aviation-related fatalities in the U.S. each year by far.
In Montana, where private aircraft and rural airstrips are common, the risks can be even higher due to our mountainous landscape, dynamic weather patterns, and vast isolated areas.
If you or someone close to you was injured or killed in a plane crash, a qualified Billings aviation accident lawyer with Yellowstone Law is ready to help. We will review your case, explore your legal options, and potentially pursue full and fair compensation for all your injuries and losses.
At Yellowstone Law, our team has the experience and resources to handle complex aviation accident cases. We fight for injured passengers, grieving families, and others affected by aviation negligence in Billings and across Big Sky Country.
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Table of Contents
- Why Choose Yellowstone Law for Your Aviation Accident Case?
- Montana Aviation Crashes
- Aviation Accidents in Montana: Why These Cases Are Legally Complicated
- Leading Causes of Aircraft Crashes in Montana
- Understanding Liability in Billings Aviation Accident Claims
- Steps to Take After a Montana Aviation Accident
- What Compensation Might Be Available After an Aviation Crash in Billings?
- Top Questions People Ask Billings Aviation Accident Lawyers
- Call for a Free Consultation With a Billings Aviation Accident Lawyer Today
Why Choose Yellowstone Law for Your Aviation Accident Case?
Montana aviation cases are rare, high-stakes, and often difficult to prove. Experience, resources, and trust matter when choosing a personal injury law firm. At Yellowstone Law, we offer all three, backed by more than $150 million in results for personal injury clients across the state.
Local knowledge, statewide reach
Our team has handled more than 2,000 injury cases, many involving serious or fatal accidents in rural areas of Montana. We understand how to work with local authorities, rural airstrip operators, and small aircraft providers, especially near Billings Logan International Airport and throughout Yellowstone County.
Deep investigative resources
We work with trusted aviation experts, crash reconstructionists, and forensic specialists who can analyze NTSB and FAA records, mechanical failures, flight logs, and maintenance history.
Compassionate representation, aggressive litigation
We believe in doing the hard legal work so you don’t have to. From the moment you hire us, we deal with the insurers, corporate lawyers, and paperwork. We fight for a fair result, whether that comes through settlement or trial.
Contingency fee representation
You don’t pay unless we win. There are no upfront legal fees. If we recover compensation for you, we collect a percentage of the award. This approach allows everyone to access top-performing legal advocacy regardless of their financial situation.
Montana Aviation Crashes
Montana has a relatively small number of airplane crashes each year, but its per-capita crash and fatality rates are among the highest in the country. Montana averaged about 2.5 fatal crashes per 100,000 residents in a recent ten-year period, the third-highest rate in the U.S. behind Alaska and Wyoming.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) data show there were 36 aviation crashes in Montana, including nine fatal crashes, in one recent year. Those fatal crashes typically involve small aircraft and tend to result in multiple deaths per event, yielding several dozen fatalities and injuries over a multi-year period rather than each year.
Nationwide, general aviation sees over 1,000 accidents per year, with around 180 to 300 fatalities, while scheduled commercial airline travel in the U.S. often records zero passenger fatalities in a given year.
Aviation Accidents in Montana: Why These Cases Are Legally Complicated
Plane crashes in Montana often involve small aircraft, rugged terrain, and long distances between crash sites and emergency response services. These factors can make investigation and recovery more challenging than in urban areas.
Rural airstrips and general aviation
Montana has one of the highest rates of general aviation use per capita in the country. Pilots fly for recreation, transport, firefighting, agriculture, and tourism. Unfortunately, general aviation lacks the oversight that governs commercial airlines. These flights may operate from private airstrips or small airports without a control tower.
Weather and terrain factors
Weather shifts quickly in Montana. Sudden snow, fog, or wind gusts can create hazardous flying conditions, especially in mountainous areas. Many aviation crashes in the state are caused by controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), when an aircraft flies into hills or mountains due to disorientation or navigation error.
Fewer regulations for non-commercial aircraft
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations apply differently to commercial versus private flights. While airline operators must meet strict maintenance and training protocols, smaller aircraft fall under more flexible rules, potentially increasing risks for everyone on board.
Leading Causes of Aircraft Crashes in Montana
Plane crashes rarely have a single cause. Most result from a chain of preventable mistakes or failures. Understanding what went wrong and who was responsible is a key part of every aviation injury claim.
Common contributing plane crash causes include:
- Pilot error: This remains the most frequent cause of aviation crashes, including misjudged approaches, poor communication, and decision-making errors in weather.
- Maintenance failures: Lapses in aircraft inspections or shortcuts during servicing can lead to mid-air mechanical failures.
- Defective aircraft parts: Faulty design or manufacturing defects in avionics, engines, or control systems may point to product liability.
- Fuel mismanagement: Running out of fuel, contamination, or improper fueling procedures can all cause catastrophic engine loss.
- Weight and balance errors: Incorrect cargo loading or exceeding the maximum takeoff weight can affect the aircraft’s stability.
- Inadequate flight planning: Failing to review terrain maps, weather forecasts, or alternate landing options can lead to controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
Each of these factors has legal implications. An experienced Billings aviation accident attorney can investigate the cause using FAA records, expert testimony, and mechanical analysis to build a strong claim on your behalf.
Understanding Liability in Billings Aviation Accident Claims
Assigning fault in an aircraft accident isn’t always simple. Unlike car accidents, where responsibility often lies with a single driver, aviation crashes frequently involve a complex web of decision-makers and service providers.
Multiple parties may share legal responsibility, including:
- Pilot or flight crew: When the crash results from poor judgment, disorientation, or violations of flight rules
- Aircraft owner or operator: If they failed to perform required maintenance, inspections, or pilot training
- Aircraft mechanic or repair service: If improper repairs or overlooked mechanical problems led to the crash
- Aircraft or parts manufacturer: If a design flaw or faulty part contributed to the accident
- Air traffic control personnel: In rare cases, failure to provide accurate communication or clearance can lead to preventable collisions
- Charter company or flight service provider: When business decisions compromised safety, such as pressuring pilots to fly in bad weather
Montana’s modified comparative negligence rule (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-702) means that fault can be divided among multiple parties. If you’re found partially at fault, your compensation may be reduced proportionally, but you may still have a valid claim.
Montana’s system doesn’t bar compensation unless the claimant is more than 50% responsible. An experienced Billings aviation accident lawyer can work to present the full picture and advocate for the strongest possible outcome in your case.
Steps to Take After a Montana Aviation Accident
If you were injured in an aviation crash or lost a loved one, you’ve likely already received medical treatment or are still undergoing care. Once your immediate safety is addressed, there are important legal steps that can protect your right to compensation.
- Hire an aviation accident lawyer: Early legal involvement is critical. An attorney can launch an independent investigation, protect you from insurance tactics, and secure expert input before key evidence is lost.
- Follow through with medical care: Attending all appointments, physical therapy sessions, and follow-up treatments creates a detailed record of your injuries and helps link them directly to the crash.
- Document your recovery: Journaling pain levels, limitations, and emotional effects can help demonstrate non-economic damages like suffering or reduced quality of life.
- Save all related records: Medical bills, flight logs, maintenance reports, and communication from insurance adjusters can all support your claim.
- Avoid giving statements to insurers: Anything you say — even informally — could be used to dispute your claim. Let your lawyer handle all communication.
Taking these steps allows your legal team to act quickly, preserve critical evidence, and establish a foundation for your claim. Delaying legal action can allow responsible parties to deny fault or shift blame, making recovery more difficult.
What Compensation Might Be Available After an Aviation Crash in Billings?
The financial impact of an aircraft accident can stretch far beyond immediate medical bills. Victims may face long-term disabilities, psychological trauma, or permanent loss of income. In Montana, you may pursue a range of compensatory damages if someone else’s negligence caused the crash.
Economic damages
These are the measurable financial costs you’ve already incurred or are likely to face in the future.
- Medical expenses: Includes emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, medications, and physical therapy
- Lost income: Covers both current missed wages and future loss of earning capacity due to disability
- Property damage: If personal items were lost or damaged during the crash (such as luggage or electronics)
Non-economic damages
These reflect the emotional and physical toll the crash has taken on your life.
- Pain and suffering: Compensation for chronic pain, emotional distress, and reduced enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium: Available in some wrongful death cases to compensate a spouse or family for lost companionship
- Psychological harm: Trauma, anxiety, or PTSD caused by the incident or its aftermath
Wrongful death compensation
When a crash results in loss of life, Montana law allows surviving family members to pursue a claim under Montana’s wrongful death law (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-1-513).
- Funeral and burial costs: Reimbursement for necessary end-of-life expenses
- Loss of financial support: Replaces the income the deceased would have earned
- Loss of parental guidance: Compensates surviving children for the loss of emotional support and care
Your Billings aviation accident attorney can help calculate your total damages and present a comprehensive claim — one that reflects the full impact this crash has had on your life.
Top Questions People Ask Billings Aviation Accident Lawyers
What is the statute of limitations for an aviation accident lawsuit in Montana?
Montana’s statute of limitations generally provides three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim (Mont. Code Ann. § 27-2-204). However, certain exceptions may apply. An attorney can help determine your specific deadline.
What happens while the NTSB investigates a plane crash, and how does that affect my claim?
After an aviation crash, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) leads a federal investigation to determine what caused the accident. That process focuses on safety, not compensation, but the findings often matter in a Montana injury or wrongful death case. The final report may identify mechanical failures, maintenance lapses, pilot mistakes, or other contributing factors.
What if the crash involved a private pilot, air tour, or hunting flight near Billings?
Many Montana aviation accidents involve non-commercial flights, such as private planes, charter services, air tours, or outfitter trips flying into rural areas. These cases raise unique liability issues because oversight and safety standards differ from commercial airlines. Your claim may involve the pilot, aircraft owner, charter company, maintenance provider, or another party tied to the flight.
How do federal aviation rules and Montana personal injury law work together in a plane crash case?
Aviation accidents often involve both federal regulations and state injury law. Federal rules cover things such as pilot training, aircraft maintenance standards, flight operations, and airspace requirements. Montana law controls who may file a lawsuit, what damages may be recovered, and how comparative fault affects compensation.
Can I sue if I was a passenger in a private plane crash?
Yes. If you were injured as a passenger, you may have a valid claim against the pilot, aircraft owner, or another party. Passenger claims are often stronger, as you were not responsible for the operation of the aircraft.
What if the crash involved a tour company or charter flight?
Commercial operators like air tours or charters may be subject to stricter safety regulations. If those companies cut corners or ignored FAA rules, they could be held liable for injuries or fatalities.
Can I bring a claim if my loved one died in the crash?
Yes. Surviving family members may file a wrongful death claim under Montana law. These claims can cover funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the emotional impact of losing a spouse, parent, or child.
Call for a Free Consultation With a Billings Aviation Accident Lawyer Today
Shane D. Colton, Billings Aviation Accident Attorney
Aviation crash cases are highly technical, complex, and often contested by powerful insurance carriers and corporate defendants. At Yellowstone Law, we’ve spent decades handling serious injury and wrongful death claims throughout Montana, including those involving aircraft, rural emergency response issues, and multiple liable parties. We bring the experience, resources, and focus these cases demand. If you’re ready to move forward, we’re here to help you do it with confidence.
Call (406) 259-9986 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with a Billings aviation accident attorney today.
Yellowstone Law – Office Location
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Billings, MT 59101
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