The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a 2007 plane crash in Florida was due to a combination of pilot error and the negligence of an air traffic controller. The accident resulted in the fatality of the pilot, a Florida businessman. His family was recently awarded $4.4 million in damages.

The man was flying his small plane from Boca Raton to South Carolina. He had not flown in over four months, but he received his pilot's license in 1982. During the course of his flight, he unknowingly flew too close to an area of adverse weather conditions. In the midst of the severe thunderstorm, he lost control of his plane.

The decision in this case cites that the pilot was 60 percent at fault for the accident. Reportedly, the pilot changed courses for his flight for a more direct route, aware that thunderstorms were present in the new course. However, the air traffic controller was also at fault because he failed to notify the pilot appropriately of the weather and assist with navigation.

A fatality in any aviation accident is tragic. In this case, the combination of two mistakes was shown to have caused the accident. This may lead some to speculate whether the accident could have been prevented if one of the behaviors had been corrected. Would an inexperienced pilot be able to safely navigate a storm with the best possible support from an air traffic controller? Would the controller's negligence even be noticed if the pilot was more experienced and had opted for the safer route?

The fact that plane accidents are often very complex means that there may be a number of investigations that must be done in order to determine what went wrong. Once the liable party has been identified, any victims of a tragic accident may be eligible for financial compensation.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, "U.S. ordered to pay $4.4 million for Weston air traffic controller's negligence in fatal crash," Karla Bowsher, Dec. 13, 2011