Opinion ID: 267588
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sabena's Other Objections

Text: 38 Of Sabena's other objections, only two merit discussion. The first is directed at exhibit 7, a pair of United States Air Force maps which together show the Italian peninsula from Florence to Rome. The Florence-Rome airway and the Viterbo beacon appear on the maps, and Captain Hettenbaugh added other markings to illustrate the plaintiff's theory. These consist of a line and numbered circles, as in the above diagram, which indicate the plane's hypothetical course and precrash positions; there also are concentric circles around the Viterdo beacon which mark ranges of 10, 15 and 20 miles. 39 Sabena objected to admission of the exhibit on the grounds that its planes did not use such maps; that the maps' accuracy was not established; more particularly, that they do not show all of the radio facilities in the area; and that the markings were taken only subject to connection and were never connected. 40 Since the charts were used only to illustrate distances and positions, the only question concerns their accuracy, and Captain Hettenbaugh testified as to that; it is wholly irrelevant whether Sabena ever used such a map. Captain Hettenbaugh also explained his markings, which are amply connected by exhibit 15 and by testimony as to the speed of a DC-6 and the Viterbo beacon's range. 41 There are some discrepancies between exhibit 7 and another map, a radio chart used by Sabena, as to radio facilities existing in the area. However, Sabena made no reference to the discrepancies when it objected to admission of exhibit 7, and it introduced no evidence relating to them after the exhibit was admitted. Moreover, it was for the jury to decide which of the maps was in error. In sum, Sabena has not established any error in the admission of exhibit 7, much less that there was so substantial an error as to require reversal. 42 Sabena's final claim of error is that the district court erred in refusing to charge the jury that, 'because of the human instinct of self-preservation and the disposition of men to avoid personal harm,' the crew of the Sabena plane 'are presumed to have acted with diligence and due care.' This is not an unreasonable presumption, and it is supported by a number of cases. But many, perhaps most, of these cases involve use of the presumption by an appellate court in determining whether a jury verdict is supported by the evidence. E.g., Eastern Air Lines, Inc. v. Union Trust Co., 95 U.S.App.D.C. 189, 221 F.2d 62, rev'd in part per curiam, 350 U.S. 907, 962, 76 S.Ct. 192, 100 L.Ed. 796 (1955); Atchison, T. & S.F. Ry. v. Toops, 281 U.S. 351, 356, 50 S.Ct. 281, 74 L.Ed. 896 (1930). Whether Judge Murphy was required to include such common sense in his charge to the jury is another matter. We do not think that he was.