EAA Insurance Solutions – Things Go Bad for CFI and Student
By Bob Mackey, Senior Vice President, Falcon Insurance Agency, Inc. official administrator for EAA Insurance Solutions
December 21, 2017
The flight instructor said the student pilot’s landing was not stabilized, so the CFI stated “my controls” and assumed control of the airplane.
However, according to the CFI, the student did not release the right rudder pressure and the Cessna 172 exited the right side of the paved portion of the runway, hit a taxiway sign, and subsequently hit another airplane on the adjacent taxiway at the airport in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The landing airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose and left wing. The taxiing airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing spar.
The above scenario really happened. The aircraft was owned by a flight school and the flight school’s insurer paid a total loss for the Cessna 172, and the damage to the other aircraft and airport sign. Fortunately, nobody was injured, but the flight school did have a loss of income until they were able to replace their aircraft. The flight instructor was an independent contractor and not an employee of the flight school, which is the case for many flight instructors. The flight instructor had a CFI insurance policy, but the student pilot did not have insurance. The flight school’s insurer recovered some money from the instructor’s insurer, and then pursued money from the student pilot.
Flight instructors and student pilots need to be aware of their potential risk exposures when they are giving or receiving flight instruction. Accidents can happen, and insurers will seek to recover money from others if they believe there is evidence of fault or responsibility.
There is a solution; flight instructors and student pilots can obtain insurance that provides both legal and financial protection. For details, check-out the EAA Flight Instructor Insurance Plan and the EAA Non-Owned Aircraft Insurance Plan. Flight instructors and student pilots may also speak directly to an aviation insurance professional for the EAA Insurance Solutions program administered by Falcon Insurance Agency, Inc., at 1-866-647-4322.
For complete details on all the EAA plans available through EAA Insurance Solutions administered by Falcon Insurance Agency, Inc. go to www.EAA.org/insurance or call Falcon Insurance Agency, Inc. at 1-866-647-4322!
