Oakland Aviation Accident Attorney

Attorney Michael Rehm — (800) 978-0754

Aviation Accidents at Oakland International Airport

Oakland International Airport (OAK), operated by the Port of Oakland, sits on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in Alameda County. It handles commercial passenger service, cargo operations, and general aviation traffic from two runways oriented toward the bay. The airport shares the Bay Area's airspace with San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and San Jose International Airport (SJC), with approach and departure sequencing managed by Northern California Terminal Radar Approach Control (NorCal TRACON). The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has investigated fatal and serious-injury accidents in the Oakland area across more than four decades, involving general aviation aircraft, commercial carriers, and ground operations personnel.

Attorney Michael Rehm represents people injured in aviation accidents at Oakland International Airport and throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Claims arising from OAK accidents involve the Port of Oakland as airport operator, commercial airlines, general aviation pilots, maintenance providers, and the Federal Aviation Administration. The applicable legal frameworks depend on the facts of each accident and the identity of the responsible party.

NTSB Accident Record at Oakland International Airport

The NTSB has investigated four fatal accidents in the Oakland area since 1982, producing six fatalities, and six serious-injury accidents with no fatalities. The following is drawn from the NTSB's CAROL accident database and represents historical investigation records only.

The most significant accident in the Oakland record is the March 31, 1987 mid-air collision between a Cessna 172N and a Piper PA-32 at the airport, documented as NTSB Accident Report No. DCA87MA023. Three people were killed and one sustained serious injuries. The full NTSB board report is NTSB/AAR-8709. Mid-air collisions at towered airports raise direct questions about air traffic control sequencing and aircraft separation — whether the controller issued proper traffic advisories and whether either pilot maintained required visual vigilance under 14 C.F.R. § 91.113.

In November 1998, a Cessna T210L crashed into the cafeteria of Castlemont High School approximately two and a quarter miles northeast of the airport, killing the pilot, documented as NTSB Accident Report No. LAX99FA038. The NTSB found fuel starvation caused the engine failure after the pilot conducted low-altitude aerial viewing over a stadium. The aircraft struck the school cafeteria. Bystanders on the ground who sustain injuries from a crashing general aviation aircraft have the same tort claims against the pilot and the aircraft owner as any other injury victim — the fact that the injured party was not aboard the aircraft does not diminish the claim.

In December 1988, a Bell 206L-1 helicopter operating for Helicopters Unlimited crashed into San Francisco Bay at night after the pilot continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (LAX89LA073), killing the pilot. The NTSB found the pilot lacked recent instrument experience. A March 1984 accident involved a Piper PA-28-181 on a VFR flight that entered IMC and impacted terrain thirteen miles north of the airport (LAX84FA176).

Among the serious-injury accidents, two involved Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 operations at OAK. In August 2015, jet blast from a departing Southwest aircraft separated the roof of a golf cart on the ramp, striking a ground operations specialist who sustained a broken kneecap (NTSB Accident Report No. DCA15CA176). In December 2011, a Southwest Boeing 737 encountered severe mountain wave turbulence over Yosemite while the NTSB found the flight crew flew into a known SIGMET advisory, causing a flight attendant to sustain a compression fracture (WPR12LA053). In April 1993, a Cessna P210N made a forced landing in a residential area of Oakland after a crankshaft fatigue failure; the NTSB found the pilot had ignored pre-buy inspection warnings about the engine's condition (LAX93LA194).

Liability at Oakland International Airport

Port of Oakland as Airport Operator

The Port of Oakland is a public entity that operates Oakland International Airport. Claims against the Port for airport design, maintenance, or operational failures are governed by Government Code § 835, which imposes liability when public property is in a dangerous condition creating a foreseeable risk of injury. The Port is also vicariously liable for the acts of its employees under Government Code § 815.2. Claims against the Port require a government tort claim under Government Code § 911.2 filed within six months of the incident. Missing this deadline can potentially bar a lawsuit against the Port. Tolling doctrines may apply depending on the facts — contact Attorney Michael Rehm to assess the specific timeline in your case.

Ground Operations and Ramp Injuries

The 2015 Southwest jet blast accident (DCA15CA176) illustrates that aviation injury claims at OAK are not limited to flight operations. Ground crew, ramp workers, and airport employees injured by jet blast, propeller contact, tow bar failures, or other ramp hazards have claims against aircraft operators, ground handling companies, and the airport depending on the specific facts. California Civil Code § 1714 imposes a duty of ordinary care. Airlines operating at OAK under Part 121 are also subject to the common carrier standard under Public Utilities Code § 2101, which requires the utmost care and diligence for the safe carriage of passengers — and, by extension, the safe operation of their aircraft in the airport environment.

Air Traffic Control

OAK is a federally towered airport. ATC services are provided by FAA personnel. Claims arising from ATC error at Oakland International — including the 1987 mid-air collision — are brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act (28 U.S.C. § 1346(b)) against the United States. An administrative claim must be filed with the FAA within two years of the accident under 28 U.S.C. § 2401(b). The government may raise the discretionary function exception as a defense, but that exception does not shield operational failures to follow mandatory ATC separation procedures.

In-Flight Turbulence Claims

The December 2011 Southwest accident (WPR12LA053) is a turbulence injury claim against a commercial carrier. The NTSB found the crew flew into a known SIGMET advisory — a meteorological hazard the crew had means to avoid. A carrier that knowingly routes passengers into documented severe turbulence without warning or course deviation has breached the utmost care standard. Passengers who sustain injuries — broken bones, spinal compression, head trauma — during turbulence events on commercial flights have claims against the airline regardless of whether the seatbelt sign was illuminated, though the illumination status is a relevant evidentiary fact.

Filing Deadlines for Oakland Aviation Claims

The general personal injury statute of limitations in California is two years under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Claims against the Port of Oakland require a government tort claim within six months under Government Code § 911.2 — a deadline that runs independently of and shorter than the two-year period. FTCA claims against the federal government for ATC error require an administrative claim within two years. None of these deadlines are self-executing, and tolling may apply depending on the facts of your case.

Attorney Michael Rehm represents aviation accident victims in Oakland and throughout California on a contingency fee basis. No fee without a recovery. Call (800) 978-0754 to arrange a free consultation.

The information on this page is general legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case turns on its own facts. The law can change — statutes are amended, cases are decided, and regulations are revised; nothing on this page should be relied upon as a statement of current law without verification. Deadlines and legal bars discussed on this page are general guides — whether a particular deadline applies, has run, or is subject to tolling, and whether a particular doctrine bars or limits recovery in your case, requires individual analysis. Contact Attorney Michael Rehm to discuss the specific facts of your situation.