During a trial for aviation negligence, how will the jury assess the pilot's actions?

The assessment of a pilot's actions during a trial for aviation negligence hinges significantly on adherence to established aviation regulations and standards of care. Jury instructions referencing the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) provide a legal framework against which the pilot's conduct is measured.

These regulations outline the minimum standards for safe operation and are crucial in helping the jury understand the expected behavior of a pilot under similar circumstances. By using these established guidelines, the jury gains insight into whether the pilot acted reasonably and in accordance with the industry norms that were in place at the time of the incident.

In contrast, while personal experience with flying, witness testimonies, and expert opinions may provide valuable context, they do not carry the same weight in determining negligence as the FARs and AIM. Personal experience does not constitute a standard of care in the legal sense, and witness testimonies can be subject to bias or misinterpretation. Expert opinions can be informative but are typically supplemental to the framework set by the regulatory standards. The FARs and AIM provide a consistent, objective standard that is referenced in the instruction given to the jury, thereby grounding their assessment in established law.