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Palo Alto Aviation Accident Attorney

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Attorney Michael Rehm — (800) 978-0754

Aviation Accidents at Palo Alto Airport

Palo Alto Airport of Santa Clara County (PAO), operated jointly by the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, is a non-towered general aviation airport on the western edge of the San Francisco Bay in Silicon Valley. It serves flight training, corporate aviation, and personal aircraft operations. The airport sits adjacent to the bay with approach paths over water from the west and rising terrain from the east. The NTSB has investigated four fatal accidents in the Palo Alto area since 1982, producing eleven fatalities, and three serious-injury accidents. The serious-injury record at PAO includes one of the clearest fueling negligence cases in the Bay Area dataset.

Attorney Michael Rehm represents people injured in aviation accidents at Palo Alto Airport and throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. The PAO accident record includes product liability cases, fueling negligence claims, and pilot error — each with a distinct path to recovery.

NTSB Accident Record at Palo Alto Airport

The following is drawn from the NTSB's CAROL accident database and represents historical investigation records only.

The highest-fatality accident in the Palo Alto record is December 27, 1986, documented as NTSB Accident Report No. LAX87FA069: a Beech E-55 crash that killed six people. The NTSB probable cause is not fully stated in the CAROL record and requires verification against the full NTSB report before reliance. A February 2010 Cessna 310R crash (WPR10FA136) killed three after the NTSB found the pilot failed to follow the standard instrument departure as instructed. A September 2018 Mooney M20J crash (WPR18FA251) killed one after the NTSB found the pilot lost aircraft control during a go-around due to improper technique.

Among serious-injury accidents, the September 2021 Beech 58 Baron accident (WPR21LA342) is the most significant in terms of liability clarity. A fueler pumped Jet A fuel into an Avgas-only aircraft, ignoring the Avgas-only label on the fuel port and bypassing the company's own fueling checklist. Both engines lost power on initial climb. The pilot executed a forced landing and one occupant sustained serious injuries. The NTSB found the fueler did not notice the Avgas-only label and did not follow the company's fueling checklist. An April 2022 Cessna 162 serious-injury accident (WPR22LA145) involved a failure to maintain pitch control during a go-around. A September 1982 VariEze homebuilt accident (LAX83FVM03) produced one serious injury.

Liability at Palo Alto Airport

Fueling Negligence — Wrong Fuel Claims

The September 2021 Beech 58 accident (WPR21LA342) is the clearest fueling negligence case in the Bay Area airport dataset. Jet A fuel in a piston Avgas aircraft causes both engines to lose power — not immediately on startup, but on climb when fuel demand increases. The aircraft takes off before the failure manifests. The fueler who pumped Jet A into an Avgas-only aircraft, bypassing both the clearly labeled fuel port and the company's own procedures, created a hazard that was entirely foreseeable and entirely preventable. Civil Code § 1714 imposes a duty of ordinary care on the fueling company and on the individual fueler. The fuel company's failure to enforce its own checklist is relevant to both direct liability and respondeat superior.

Cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto as Airport Operators

Palo Alto Airport is operated jointly by the cities of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, both public entities. Claims against either City for dangerous conditions at the airport are governed by Government Code § 835. Claims against either City require a government tort claim under Government Code § 911.2 within six months of the incident. Missing this deadline can potentially bar a lawsuit. Tolling may apply — contact Attorney Michael Rehm to assess the specific timeline in your case.

Instrument Departure Failures

The February 2010 Cessna 310R crash (WPR10FA136) — in which the NTSB found the pilot failed to follow the standard instrument departure as instructed — is a pilot negligence case. Standard instrument departures exist to ensure terrain and obstacle clearance during IFR conditions. A pilot who deviates from an assigned SID without authorization and strikes terrain has violated both the ATC clearance under 14 C.F.R. § 91.123 and the instrument flight rules. That violation is evidence of negligence per se under California Evidence Code § 669.

Filing Deadlines for Palo Alto Aviation Claims

The personal injury statute of limitations is two years under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Claims against the cities of Palo Alto or East Palo Alto require a government tort claim within six months under Government Code § 911.2. Missing the six-month deadline can potentially bar a claim. Tolling may apply depending on the facts.

Related Pages

Attorney Michael Rehm represents aviation accident victims in Palo Alto 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.

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