robinson_r44_no1_ad_aopa_pilot_april.pdf 1 2/24/2018 7:01:27 AM one case, an instructor and his FBO were held to be negligent when a presolo student fell into a propeller while alighting from the training airplane. In another, a flight school was found to be negligent when a student on a solo flight crashed after failing to discover that the rear stick of his airplane was tied back with a seat belt. Still another case involved a student and his instructor who were killed in a wake turbulence accident. The instructor and the FBO (and air traffic control) were found to be negligent because the instructor failed to delay the takeoff to allow the wake turbulence to dissipate. But the flight instructor and the employer are not always found to be negligent. An instructor was found not to be negligent in a case in which a student crashed after letting his airspeed get too low on approach. After the instructor tapped the airspeed indicator, the student pushed the stick forward abruptly. The aircraft crashed before the instructor could recover it. The court found that the instructor had not been negligent in failing to issue a verbal warning, or in failing to take control sooner. Here is another one: A flight school was found not to be negligent for the crash of a student on his first solo cross-country flight. The flight school was sued for allegedly sending the student on a cross-country when he wasn't ready. The court disagreed, finding that the student had been properly prepared. These cases suggest many other situations in which negligent flight instruction could be claimed. Even in these cases where the flight instructor and the FBO/flight school prevailed, you can expect there were significant defense costs involved-and the results were not that predictable, especially before a judge or jury not familiar with general aviation. Flight instructors are concerned. Flight instructor liability insurance, a rarity in the past, is becoming increasingly popular. Flight instructors are asking more questions about their protection under the liability insurance carried by their employers. Freelance flight instructors are asking questions about their protection under the liability provisions of the insurance on the aircraft in which they are instructing.Itisaproblembeggingamore longterm solution. AOPA C M Y CM MY CY CMY K www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 27 R44 THE WORLD'S #1* SELLING HELICOPTER *GAMA 2016/17 civil aircraft shipment report www.robinsonheli.comhttp://www.robinsonheli.com http://www.aopa.org/pilot