The Region : FAA Opposes Prosecution

A pilot who strayed into restricted airspace just before two other planes collided over Cerritos, killing 82 people, should not be prosecuted by the Los Angeles city attorney, a Federal Aviation Administration attorney said. E. Tazwell Ellett, the FAA’s chief counsel in Washington, issued a formal order suspending for 120 days the license of the errant pilot, Roland P. V. Furman. Furman’s attorney plans an appeal, and the pilot may continue flying while the appeal is pending. City Atty. James Hahn announced several weeks ago that his office was starting a criminal investigation into whether Furman violated a state law prohibiting careless and reckless flying. The FAA also notified Hahn that the agency will not make controller Walter White, who was on duty at the time of the Aug. 31 disaster, available for interviews by city prosecutors.