Opinion ID: 268199
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Wilful misconduct at headquarters.

Text: 37 Plaintiffs also urge that as a matter of law there was wilful misconduct at BCPA headquarters in the failure to instruct pilots as to a CAB letter interpreting clearance regulations concerning minimum altitudes in approaching San Francisco. Even if the letter itself were admissible, BCPA's conduct cannot be characterized as wilful misconduct; at best it was negligence arising out of an honest difference of opinion. However, this theory is not available to upset the jury's verdict. It was apparently not urged at trial and the jury was not charged about it. The trial judge made no ruling on it. The only semblance of support is a statement in Judge Ritter's 'Supplemental Opinion' that from BCPA's failure to excuse its non-production of certain documents it was permissible to infer that the failure was deliberate and that 'such documents would be unfavorable to defendant, BCPA, on such issue (wilful misconduct).' In particular, BCPA failed to produce a file relating to prescribed approach procedures, although an unspecified number of documents in that file were produced. Even if the nonproduction could establish that BCPA failed for some reason-- perhaps a justifiable one-- to tell pilots of the CAB interpretation, as we have said, that could not establish wilful misconduct as a matter of law under the theory of the case. 38