Laird v. Nelms

Respondents brought this action in the United States District Court under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U. S. C. §§ 1346 (b), 2671-2680. They sought recovery for property damage allegedly resulting from a sonic boom caused by California-based United States military planes flying over North Carolina on a training mission. The District Court entered summary judgment for petitioners, but on respondents’ appeal the United States Court of *798Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed. That court held that, although respondents had been unable to show negligence “either in the planning or operation of…