Parkes Shire Council v South West Helicopters Pty Limited

Aviation – Carriage of passengers by air – Accident – Carrier's liability – Where respondent engaged by appellant to carry out survey using helicopter – Where passenger aboard helicopter killed in crash – Where Pt IV of Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959 (Cth) applied – Where s 28 provided that carrier liable for damage sustained by reason of death of passenger – Where s 35(2) substituted liability under s 28 for any civil liability of carrier under any other law in respect of death of passenger – Where s 34 imposes time limit on availability of right of action created by s 28 – Where widow, daughter and son of passenger brought claims in tort against appellant and respondent for damages for negligently inflicted psychiatric harm resulting from death of passenger – Where claims brought outside time limit prescribed by s 34 – Whether claims precluded by Act.

Words and phrases – "any civil liability of the carrier under any other law", "by reason of the death of the passenger", "claim", "damage sustained", "Hague Protocol", "in respect of the death of the passenger", "Montreal Protocol No 4", "negligently inflicted psychiatric harm", "tort", "Warsaw Convention".

Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959 (Cth) – ss 28, 34, 35(2), 37.