Can air traffic controller be charged with manslaughter?

In the aftermath of several recent accidents and incidents (e.g. Wilkinson, 1994; Ballanty- ne, 2002; Ruitenberg, 2002) the pilots or air traffic controllers involved were charged with criminal offenses (e.g. professional negligence; manslaughter). Criminal charges differ from civil lawsuits in many respects.



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If the controller breaches that duty of care, the controller may be liable for negligence. If an air traffic controller is deemed to be negligent in his or her duties, the federal government may be subject to a lawsuit under the Federal Tort Claims Act.

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Charles Hew Crooks, 23, who had no alcohol or drugs in his system, told the pilot he was feeling sick before he fell to his death on July 29, authorities said. The death of a pilot who fell out of a twin-engine plane in North Carolina in July was an accident, according to his autopsy report.

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Can I get a pilot license (certificate) or other FAA certificate if I have a felony conviction? You can get a FAA certificate if you have a felony conviction, unless the conviction is for a drug or alcohol related offense. In that case, you cannot apply for a certificate for up to one year after your final conviction.

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Perhaps the most important, and then highly controversial, domestic initiative was the firing of the air traffic controllers in August 1981. The President invoked the law that striking government employees forfeit their jobs, an action that unsettled those who cynically believed no President would ever uphold that law.

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Approximately one-quarter of air traffic controller trainees fail field training at their first facility assignment. In some cases, those who fail the training qualifications at their first air traffic control facility assignment are allowed to transfer to a less complex facility.

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The applicant must have no established medical history or clinical diagnosis of any of the following: (1) A psychosis; (2) A neurosis; (3) Any personality disorder or mental disorder that the Federal Air Surgeon determines clearly indicates a potential hazard to safety in the Air Traffic Control System.

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Due to the risks to flight safety posed by ADHD, regulatory authorities worldwide consider ADHD a disqualifying condition for pilots.

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