Is "pilot error" ever a crime?
This question comes from my kid, and I have no idea of the answer, so I'm asking the FT community.
After hearing so many news reports, including the latest radio quotes from the NTSB which strongly suggested pilot error as the cause of the Asiana tragedy, he asked if the pilots will go to jail for "killing" people, even though it was an accident.
Does "pilot error" at some point in time become a criminal act? Could, would the pilot be prosecuted if he is found to be at fault for the crash?
Based on the Costa Concordia tragedy, it seems sometimes the officer in command of a vessel could be considered criminally libel for the deaths of passengers, but I have no idea if those rules would apply in all counties or all modes transportation.
Anybody know for sure what the laws are?