Updated September 1, 2021

Who Can Be Held Responsible for an Aviation Disaster?

There are several different parties that can be responsible for an aircraft collision or crash.

Obviously, the first person everybody looks to is the pilot. The pilot is the person who is responsible for flying the aircraft and making sure it arrives safely. The pilot also can have responsibility for planning the flight, making sure that the airplane has enough fuel to arrive safely.

But the pilot is not the only person that can be responsible for an aviation crash. There are many people on the ground, such as maintenance personnel who may be required to inspect the aircraft. There’s also air traffic control, who are required to follow the aircraft through the air. There are weather briefers, as well, who are required to provide weather information to the pilot.

Finally, the aircraft manufacturer also may share responsibility if there is a component failure with the aircraft.

So, there are several different people that can also have some responsibility when an airplane crashes.