News Summary
A lawsuit has been filed by Steven Schwartz against Leadership in Flight Training Academy (LIFT) following severe injuries sustained during a flight training incident in Myrtle Beach. Schwartz claims his instructor disregarded safety concerns about rapidly changing weather conditions before takeoff. The complaint emphasizes a culture of intimidation within LIFT, where students experience repercussions for voicing safety issues. This lawsuit not only seeks personal accountability but also aims to highlight potential regulatory changes in flight training safety standards.
Myrtle Beach, SC — A New York resident, Steven Schwartz, has filed a lawsuit against Leadership in Flight Training Academy (LIFT), LLC, in Horry County. The complaint arises from severe injuries he allegedly sustained during an unsafe training incident while pursuing his pilot’s license. Schwartz began his training at LIFT’s Myrtle Beach location in June 2024, with the incident occurring on February 14, 2025, during a scheduled flight operation.
During the ill-fated flight, Schwartz was departing from Myrtle Beach International Airport when he noticed rapidly changing wind conditions near the Conway-Horry County Airport. Concerned about the safety of the flight, Schwartz consulted fellow students and an aviation weather app regarding the weather situation. However, he claims that his instructor dismissed these critical safety concerns prior to takeoff, prioritizing the flight over the well-being of the students.
Schwartz expressed his worries about the aircraft’s airworthiness, believing that the aircraft should not be flown under the circumstances. Despite his concerns, the instructor allegedly exhibited a “desperate” attitude to conduct the flight, driven by a series of previous weather cancellations, which may have influenced the decision-making process.
Upon landing, the instructor reportedly lost control of the aircraft, resulting in a harsh impact with the runway that caused the plane to bounce multiple times. Schwartz contends that this sequence of events directly led to his severe and permanent injuries. The lawsuit claims a broader culture of intimidation and fear at LIFT, where students who voiced safety complaints experienced a reduction in their flight time.
As investigations into this incident continue, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported on a related event involving a LIFT-operated plane that crash-landed on an interstate in North Carolina in December 2023. This earlier incident was connected to a loss of engine power and a dual engine control unit failure during a night flight. The flight instructor attempted to restart the engine multiple times, but smoke filled the cockpit, leading to a forced landing.
During this forced landing, the aircraft struck a power line and subsequently caught fire upon landing. While both the flight instructor and the private pilot sustained injuries in this incident, it was noted that both are expected to recover. Upon examination of the aircraft after recovery, a separated connecting rod was found which may have contributed to the engine failure.
The airplane involved in the crash had departed from Myrtle Beach International Airport earlier that same day, heading towards Knoxville before attempting a return and subsequently crashing in Asheville.
As of now, Jon Austin, a spokesman for LIFT, has declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit initiated by Schwartz. The details surrounding these incidents raise questions about safety practices within the flight training program at LIFT and the measures in place to protect students from similar occurrences in the future.
Schwartz’s lawsuit is not only a personal quest for accountability but also sheds light on the broader implications of training practices within flight schools, particularly regarding student safety and instructor behavior. The outcome of this case could potentially influence the regulatory landscape within the aviation industry and improve flight training safety standards.
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Additional Resources
- Myrtle Beach Online
- Wikipedia: Flight Training
- WBTW News
- Google Search: Myrtle Beach flight school
- Business Wire
- Google Scholar: Flight Training Safety
- My Horry News
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Flying
- WMBF News
- Google News: LIFT Academy
