Liability of the PIC
Recently I've been wondering about the consequences of negligence by the PIC causing a crash and fatalities.
Let's just say the captain of a passenger jet makes a mistake which causes the death of multiple passengers.
What are the legal consequences for this person's private life and financial state.
Can someone who KNOWS what he is talking about please answer this question in both of the following cases : (preferably a legal expert or union delegate)
1. Human error that was avoidable by following SOP's which were inadvertantly not executed.
2. Human error by willingly taking a risk and/or not adhering to company policies and SOP's.
Assumptions :
- The airlines can not be blamed for anything according to the judge
- no external errors from ATC or local authorities (airport - state infractructure etc...)
Again - the question is : "To what extent will the captain be held accountable and what will happen to him (jail and/or financial penalties) ?"