Knowing and Doing

Chapter 4 discusses three serious incidents involving near midair collisions that took place in Switzerland and the subsequent criminal proceedings against the air traffic controllers involved, who were charged with negligent disruption of public transport and endangering the lives of passengers and crew. In each of the three cases, appropriate avoidance action was taken, and there were no injuries or deaths. The recent midair collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and a military helicopter on 25 January 2025 at the Reagan Washington National Airport, resulting in the death of 67 persons, highlights the very different approaches to holding individual aviation professionals liable and apportioning accountability in jurisdictions with other legal systems. The chapter continues with an in-depth overview and analysis of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident on 5 January 2024, and the Air France Flight 447 accident, the safety investigations conducted, the subsequent civil and criminal lawsuits against individuals, the airlines as well as Boeing, Air France and Airbus as corporate entities.