Opinion ID: 319370
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Government Negligence

Text: 15 Appellants argue first that air traffic controllers owe pilots a duty to exercise due care to avoid mid-air collisions regardless of weather and flight conditions. We agree with this proposition, but it tells only half of the story. According to the regulations promulgated under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, 49 U.S.C. 1301 et seq., 'the pilot in command of an aircraft is directly responsible for, and is the final authority as to, the operation of the aircraft.' 14 C.F.R. 91.3(a). Thus, the duty to exercise due care is a concurrent one, resting on both the control tower personnel and the pilots. Spaulding v. United States, 9 Cir., 1972, 455 F.2d 222, 226; United States v. Miller, 9 Cir., 1962, 303 F.2d 703, 711. Moreover, under VFR conditions, ultimate responsibility for the safe operation of aircraft rests with the pilots, regardless of the air traffic clearance. Tilley v. United States, 4 Cir., 1967, 375 F.2d 678, 682-684; United Air Lines, Inc. v. Wiener, 9 Cir., 1964, 335 F.2d 379, 389; United States v. Miller, supra, 303 F.2d at 710; United States v. Schultetus, 5 Cir., 1960, 277 F.2d 322, 328. 16 Appellants next argue that the air traffic controllers were negligent in three ways: 17 1. They placed the two aircraft in a position of peril by authorizing two simultaneous straight-in approaches. 18 2. They failed to warn the aircraft that an emergency situation existed and failed to inform each aircraft of the other's position. 19 3. They gave instructions which directly caused a collision. We will consider these arguments seriatim. 20 Appellants' first argument has two parts. First, the control tower should have authorized a 'pattern' approach rather than a 'straight-in' approach. Second, the control tower negligently authorized two simultaneous straight-in approaches. 21 A pattern approach requires the pilot to parallel the runway in the opposite direction from his landing (along the down-wind leg), 11 make a 90 degree turn toward the runway (along the base leg), and then make another 90 degree turn to approach the runway for a landing. Such an approach is less dangerous than a straight-in or direct approach because it forces the pilot to make two turns, during which he can observe conflicting traffic. On a straight-in approach a pilot, whose view is partially obstructed by his plane, will normally make clearing turns only if he has reason to believe that potentially conflicting traffic is in his vicinity. 22 The trial judge necessarily found that the mere act of authorizing straight-in approaches in this situation was not negligence. This finding is not clearly erroneous. Straight-in approaches are allowed at airports with control towers, and the question of whether a controller is negligent in deciding to authorize a straight-in approach depends on the facts of the case. To do so is not negligence as a matter of law. 23 Appellants then argue that the controller was negligent in authorizing two simultaneous straight-in approaches on the same runway. We cannot agree. Although the controller did authorize each aircraft to make a straight-in approach on runway 27R, he did not know, and had no reason to believe the planes would approach the runway simultaneously. The Cessna reported itself about eight miles east of the airport at 2:18:45. At a speed of 120 miles an hour, it should have arrived at two mile final at about 2:21:45. The Apache reported itself about five miles east of the airport at 2:23:48. At the same speed, it should have arrived at two mile final at about 2:25:18-- some three minutes 23 second behind the Cessna-- or over six miles behind it. When the controller was apprised of the emergency, which, as the court found, had been caused by the pilots' negligence, he did not authorize simultaneous approaches on the same runway, but rather cleared the Apache to land on 27R and authorized the Cessna to land on 27L or go around and he saw the Cessna start to turn left, as if heading for 27L. Appellants' reliance on Eastern Air Lines v. Union Trust Co., 1955, 95 U.S.App.D.C. 189, 221 F.2d 62, is therefore misplaced; the controller in that case did authorize two aircraft to land on the same runway at the same time. Id. at 79. 24 Appellants next argue that the controllers negligently failed to warn the aircraft of an emergency situation and negligently failed to inform each aircraft of the other's position. This argument is wholly without merit. As discussed infra, the pilot's own negligence caused the emergency to develop at 2:25:50. At 2:26:07, the controller had both aircraft in view and he acted immediately; within three seconds he started to give instructions to try to extricate the aircraft from the dangerous predicament they had created. Appellants, in effect, are urging us to hold that when an emergency develops, a controller is negligent if he does not warn the aircraft involved. Clearly a controller is under an obligation to act when he has reason to know that an emergency situation exists. Furumizo v. United States, 9 Cir., 1967, 381 F.2d 965, 968. Moreover, when there is sufficient time to do so, the controller must warn of dangers reasonably apparent to him. American Airlines, Inc. v. United States, 5 Cir., 1969, 418 F.2d 180, 197; Eastern Air Lines v. Union Trust Co., supra. 12 Ideally, the controller should both warn of the danger and give instructions to prevent an accident. But when, as here, the controller must make a split-second decision, it is more important that he try to avoid the collision by giving instructions than warn the pilots that an emergency exists. The controller here did just that, and the court's finding that his failure to warn did not constitute negligence is not clearly erroneous. 13 25 Nor was the controller negligent in failing to inform each aircraft of the other's position. No case has been brought to our attention, nor have we been able to find one, which holds that under VFR conditions a controller is under a duty to inform aircraft in the same vicinity of each other's position. Such a holding would be wholly unwarranted here. Under the radio system in use at Oakland the Cessna and the Apache could hear all communications between the tower and the other aircraft. Thus, the Cessna pilots were put on notice at 2:23:54 that an Apache would be approaching runway 27R from the east, and the Apache was put on notice at 2:25:06 that a Cessna was coming up on the freeway. Moreover, even though under VFR conditions a controller is not under a duty to inform aircraft of each other's position, the controller nevertheless expressly informed the Apache at 2:25:17 that the Cessna had just reported approaching the freeway. 26 Appellant's last argument concerning the tower's negligence is that the controller's instructions to the Apache and the Cessna at 2:26:13 were negligent and caused the collision. From the controller's perspective, it appeared that the Apache was above, behind, and to the right of the Cessna. He therefore cleared the Apache to land on 27R and authorized the Cessna to land on 27L or go around. There was, however, testimony at the trial that the Apache was above, behind, and to the left of the Cessna, and that a plane below and in front of another aircraft should never be told to go around while the upper aircraft is told to land. The appellees' experts, on the other hand, testified that the instructions given were proper and followed the usual and common practice. The district court's finding that the tower was not negligent was supported by substantial evidence and is not clearly erroneous. 27 Moreover, the controller was not necessarily negligent when, after giving the instructions at 2:26:13 and observing the Cessna begin to make what was seen by him to be a left turn, he turned his attention to other aircraft in the traffic pattern. Once the controller had reason to believe that his instructions were being carried out, he would have been delerlict in his duties if he had not turned his attention to other aircraft. An air traffic controller 'is not supposed to give his attention to any one aircraft in the control zone if other aircraft are present. All aircraft within the control zone should have the controller's attention.' Franklin v. United States, 7 Cir., 1965, 342 F.2d 581, 585.