Military aircraft crashes—whether involving a military plane crash, helicopter military aircraft, or other high-performance vehicles—tragically claim lives and cause life-altering injuries every year. Service members and civilians alike can be harmed in military aircraft accidents caused by defective parts, poor maintenance, or dangerous design.
At Wisner Baum, our experienced military aircraft crash lawyers have decades of experience representing individuals and families impacted by military plane crashes, helicopter crashes, and other U.S. military aircraft crashes. Whether the incident happens during combat, training, or routine transport, we understand the devastating impact these tragedies have on victims and their loved ones—and we fight to hold negligent parties accountable.
At Wisner Baum, we are committed to representing troops and civilians affected by military aircraft crashes, including today's military plane crash incidents and those involving helicopter military aircraft like the UH-60 Black Hawk. The recent high-profile U.S. military plane crash in January 2025, where a Black Hawk helicopter collided with a commercial plane over the Potomac River, resulted in the tragic loss of all 67 people aboard both aircraft. This crash illustrates the complexity and risks of military aviation today. Our seasoned attorneys understand the particular challenges of cases involving military aircraft crashes and provide expert legal support to those harmed by such devastating events.
Military aircraft accidents—whether military plane crashes or helicopter crashes—are often preventable. Maintenance errors by civilian contractors, faulty parts, or design defects can cause catastrophic failures during critical phases of flight. Despite the brave pilots’ training and skill, mechanical failures in aging or defective military aircraft still cause injuries and fatalities, including multiple Black Hawk helicopter crashes today and over recent years.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a military aircraft crash, including Black Hawk crashes, you may face legal restrictions due to the Feres Doctrine, which generally shields the U.S. government from lawsuits filed by service members. However, important exceptions exist. Claims can often be pursued against military aircraft manufacturers, parts suppliers, or civilian maintenance facilities responsible for defective products or negligence that contributed to the military aircraft crash.
Common military aircraft involved in crashes include the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, known for their service since 1979. Although generally safe and reliable, Black Hawk helicopters have experienced multiple fatal crashes over the decades, including the recent deadly 2025 crashes and previous cases where mechanical or maintenance failures played a role. Wisner Baum understands the technical intricacies of Black Hawk crashes and advocates vigorously for victims and their families.
In an interview with NBC News, attorney Timothy A. Loranger said the Black Hawk has been a workhorse since it was introduced in 1979 because it is generally safe, reliable, and has a good track record of survivability in combat and transport flights.
However, the Black Hawk and its military variants have crashed many times over the years. Between 1981 and 1984, Black Hawk helicopters crashed 16 times, killing 22 people. In 1985, the U.S. Army briefly grounded the Black Hawk after six crashes over four months caused 15 deaths. The most serious crash of the time, a March 13, 1985 crash at Fort Bragg, killed eight soldiers and four crewmen.
Decades later, concerns about Black Hawk helicopter safety remain as crashes and incidents continue to happen with striking regularity. Between December of 2019 and March of 2023, at least 10 Black Hawk crashes on U.S. soil have resulted in military fatalities.
The January 2025 crash between a Black Hawk Army helicopter and a commuter flight, which killed 67 people in both aircraft, renewed attention on the helicopter’s safety.
For civilians injured or killed due to military aircraft crashes, there are legal pathways to seek justice as well, especially when military aircraft accidents impact civilian lives or property. Our firm has experience handling such complex cases, ensuring that families and individuals receive the representation they deserve.
If you need an experienced military aircraft crash lawyer to represent you or your family following a military plane crash, military helicopter crash, or any military aircraft crash today, contact Wisner Baum for a free consultation. We stand ready to fight for your rights and compensation in these challenging cases.
The Feres Doctrine limits the ability of military personnel to file a lawsuit after a Black Hawk or other military aircraft crash. Generally speaking, active-duty military members cannot sue the U.S. government for injuries sustained during service. But there are some exceptions where a legal case may be possible.
Our lead attorney, Timothy A. Loranger is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, licensed pilot, and former military aircraft mechanic with decades of aviation litigation experience. Our firm has recovered over $4 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients, including victims of military aircraft accidents. We combine technical aviation knowledge, legal strategy, and a deep respect for our clients’ service to pursue justice and accountability.
If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a military aircraft crash, contact Wisner Baum for a free, confidential consultation.
June 8, 2022 – An Osprey V-22 crash outside of Glamis, California killed five Marines from the “Purple Foxes” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364 (VMM-364) Camp Pendleton. Capt. Nicholas P. Losapio, Capt. John J. Sax, Cpl. Nathan E. Carlson, Cpl. Seth D. Rasmuson and Lance Cpl. Evan A. Strickland all lost their lives in the crash. According to the Marine Corps report, the crash was caused by a “dual hard clutch engagement (HCE) which created a Single Engine and Interconnect Drive System (Single Engine/ICDS) failure; the failure resulted in a catastrophic loss of thrust on the right-hand (RH) proprietor." Wisner Baum represents multiple clients stemming from this crash.
February 27, 2019 – An MH-6M “Little Bird” helicopter originating from Fort Campbell, Kentucky crashed during a training flight, injuring two. Wisner Baum represents both victims of this aviation accident.
July 10, 2017 – A Marine Corps KC-130T plane experienced a catastrophic mechanical failure at cruise altitude and crashed in a soybean field between the cities of Itta Bena and Moorhead. Fifteen Marines and one Navy Corpsman were killed in the crash. Wisner Baum is honored to represent the family members of 10 brave service members who died in this military plane crash.
April 17, 2017 – A Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk military helicopter crashed near Leonardtown, Maryland, killing one U.S. Army Soldier and injuring two others. Wisner Baum represents the family of the deceased and both injured victims in cases.
March 16, 2013 – A Kiowa Warrior OH-58D military helicopter crashed outside of Kandahar, Afghanistan, killing one pilot and leaving the other with severe disabilities. An investigation into the accident found that the helicopter’s engine control unit (ECU) contained in the EMC-35 FADEC (Full Authority Digital Electronic Control) and its component parts failed. Wisner Baum represented the families of two Army servicemen in a lawsuit alleging the defendants’ design and manufacture of the ECU contained in the EMC-35 FADEC was defective and unreasonably dangerous.
August 11, 2011 – An AH-6M “Little Bird” military helicopter crash during a routine training exercise at Ft. Benning, Georgia killed a decorated combat veteran. Wisner Baum filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the family of Steven Redd alleging the helicopter experienced a failure of its Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC).
The following recent Black Hawk helicopter accidents resulted in U.S. military deaths:
January 29, 2025: A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter collided with a regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The helicopter was conducting a night training mission at the time of the incident. Three soldiers were killed in the crash, along with 64 people in the commuter plane.
March 2023: Nine US service members were killed when two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters with the 101st Airborne Division crashed in southwestern Kentucky. There were no survivors in what has become the deadliest helicopter training accident since a 2015 Black Hawk crash in Florida that killed 11 service members.
February 2023: A Tennessee National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training flight in Alabama, killing CWO3 Daniel Wadham, 39, and CWO3 Danny Randolph, 40.
February 2021: A UH-60 helicopter crashed outside of Boise, Idaho, killing three Idaho Army National Guard soldiers.
January 2021: A New York Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a routine training mission, killing all three soldiers on board. A preliminary report cited 911 calls that said “sputtering sounds” came from the engine before the helicopter went down.
November 2020: A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a peacekeeping mission in Egypt, killing five Army soldiers, a French service member, and a Czech service member. According to reports, a “technical failure” caused the crash.
August 2020: Two Army soldiers died, and three others sustained injuries when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a training exercise off the coast of California.
December 2019: A UH-60 Black Hawk from the Minnesota Army National Guard Army Aviation Support Facility crashed shortly after taking off for a routine maintenance test flight. Three men on board died in the crash.
"Wisner Baum gave exceptional attention to all aspects of the case, detailed inquiry, and tenacious overview of all the information submitted. The paralegals are efficient and diligent. I was completely surprised to find an empathic personal message to take care of my own health during the challenging time of being a full-time caretaker.*"
In May of 2019, the jury in the case of Pilliod et al. v, Monsanto Company ordered the agrochemical giant to pay $2.055 billion in damages to the plaintiffs, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, a Bay Area couple in their 70s. R. Brent Wisner served as co-lead trial attorney for the Pilliods, delivering the opening and closing statements and cross-examining several of Monsanto’s experts. Wisner Baum managing shareholder, Michael Baum and attorney Pedram Esfandiary also served on the trial team in the Pilliod case.
The judge later reduced their award to $87M. Monsanto appealed the Pilliod’s verdict which the California Court of Appeal for the First Appellate District denied on August 9, 2021. Monsanto then requested the California Supreme Court review the appeal’s court decision, which the court denied on Nov. 17, 2021. Monsanto (Bayer) then submitted a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court which SCOTUS denied on June 27, 2022, allowing the final judgment of $87M to remain intact.
$289.2 million jury verdict in Monsanto Roundup trial
Wisner Baum co-represented Dewayne “Lee” Johnson in the first Roundup cancer lawsuit to proceed to trial. On Aug. 10, 2018, a San Francisco jury ordered Monsanto to pay $39.25 million in compensatory damages and $250 million in punitive damages to Mr. Johnson, a former groundskeeper who alleged exposure to Monsanto’s herbicides caused him to develop terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Months after the jury verdict, the judge overseeing the trial reduced the punitive damages to $39.25 million. Mr. Johnson decided to accept the remittitur, bringing the adjusted amount awarded to Mr. Johnson $78.5 million.
Monsanto (Bayer) appealed the verdict and Johnson cross appealed. On July 20, 2020, the First Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the verdict against Monsanto but reduced Mr. Johnson’s award to $20.5 million. The company chose not to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, ending the litigation.
In 2016, Wisner Baum attorney Timothy A. Loranger and six other attorneys in the Plaintiffs’ Management Committee were able to secure a $265 million settlement for victims of the 2015 Amtrak 188 derailment in Philadelphia, one of the largest in the U.S. for 2016.
