On Friday, the Zurich Higher Court acquitted an air traffic controller from the Skyguide air traffic control unit of the charge of negligent disruption of public transport.

On August 22, 2012, a sport aircraft and a Darwin Airlines Saab 15 with three crew members and 2000 passengers came dangerously close at Zurich Airport. The sports machine flew at a 90-degree angle directly towards the Saab machine and only turned sharply at the last moment. The pilot saw through the cockpit window how the sports machine was heading straight for him. For the man, this was the “most critical moment” in his pilot career. He then reported the incident.

And the court of first instance followed the arguments of the public prosecutor, who demanded a conditional prison sentence of nine months for the air traffic controller. In the second instance, however, the accused now benefits from having taken corrective action in good time. He even changed his instructions twice when he realized it was getting tight, like watson.ch reported. At his instruction, the flight instructor in the sports aircraft immediately started a “right hand orbit”, so she turned steeply to the right. A possible collision could be averted, nobody was injured. The verdict is not yet legally binding. The public prosecutor can still go to the federal court.