Fresno Air Service v. Wood

BROWN (R.M.), J.

Appellant appeals from a judgment in favor of respondent for $17,900 for damages to a Bonanza airplane.

Appellant chartered respondent’s airplane to take him from Fresno to Hawthorne, Nevada, and return. Fred Mazzie, the pilot, had taken appellant on several occasions to Nevada and was well aware that appellant had a drinking problem. Prior to November 5, 1962, the date of the charter in question, the appellant had been taking flying lessons and on this date on their flight to Hawthorne the appellant had been drinking and was permitted to handle the controls of the airplane.…