Opinion ID: 1185733
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Hughes-Carter Relationship.

Text: While the complete terms of the Hughes-Carter agreement have not been presented for our consideration, from the record before us we conclude that the relationship between Carter and Hughes was that of bailor-bailee. In Hendren v. Ken-Mar Airpark, Inc., 191 Kan. 550, 382 P.2d 288 (1963), an aircraft owner who had rented space from a defendant airport took off while under the influence of intoxicants, carrying a passenger who had also been drinking. The plane crashed, killing both occupants. Sustaining a demurrer to a wrongful death action, the court ruled, 382 P.2d at 295: The hangaring of the particular airplane in question by Ken-Mar involves the legal principle of bailment. The cases [cited earlier] are clear that the act of Ken-Mar in furnishing hangar space for the Pegasus [Flying Club, owner of the] airplane upon its premises created a bailor-bailee relationship between those parties.    The court concluded, 382 P.2d at 296:    Ken-Mar, even if it had full knowledge of the contemplated flight by St. Vrain [a member of the Pegasus Flying Club and presumably the pilot] and the appellants' decedent prior to take-off, would have had a duty as bailee to surrender possession of the plane upon demand and to allow the use of its airport for the take-off. In the case of Baruch v. Beech Aircraft Corp., 175 F.2d 1, 3 (10th Cir.1949), the court ruled: The trial court properly treated the relationship between Baruch [owner of a plane destroyed in a crash while operated by Baruch's pilot, who had been drinking] and Beech [the defendant airport] as bailor and bailee, which required the surrender of the possession of the plane upon Baruch's agent's [the pilot's] demand, and the use of its airport to take it off.    Realistically speaking, it is difficult to fathom just how Tilley could have prevented Carter's takeoff. It is true that Tilley gassed the aircraft at Carter's request, which service was available to all owners who maintained their aircraft at the terminal. In a controlled airport, takeoffs and landings are under the direction and clearance of a control tower. But North Las Vegas Air Terminal was not a controlled airport in August 1969. This court ruled as follows in Mills v. Continental Parking Corp., 86 Nev. 724, 725, 475 P.2d 673, 674 (1970), a bailor-bailee case involving a parking-lot attendant having custody of the car keys of an owner who had parked his car on the lot and who later returned under the influence of intoxicants and was given his keys:    The negligent entrustment theory of tort liability does not apply to the normal bailor-bailee relationship since the bailee is duty bound to surrender control of the car to the bailor upon demand or suffer a possible penalty for conversion. Indeed, if the bailee refuses to return the car at the end of the bailment it is presumed that the car was converted by him.    In the present case, Tilley had no control of the plane. The keys were in Carter's possession at all times. Tilley merely admitted Carter and his friends to the terminal and fueled the plane. Regrettably, the tragic crash occurred 45 minutes later near Ash Meadows, Nevada. However, to impose civil liability on Hughes Tool Company, on the theory that Tilley had a duty to prevent Carter's takeoff and that Tilley's failure to do so was the proximate cause of Wiggins's death is incomprehensible. Therefore, the order granting summary judgment is affirmed. ZENOFF, C. J., and BATJER, THOMPSON and GUNDERSON, JJ., concur.