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name: aviation-summary language: en description: >- Generates structured U.S. aviation-law summaries by synthesizing FAA, DOT, and TSA rules, treaties, and precedent into actionable legal analysis. Use when briefing on air traffic rights, aircraft operations, airworthiness, carrier liability, or incident/compliance exposure. Trigger: aviation law, FAA, DOT, TSA, 14 CFR, Part 121/125/135, Montreal Convention, Warsaw Convention, ICAO, route authority, code-sharing, slot allocation, accident liability.

Aviation Law Summary

Produces a structured, defensible aviation-law summary for counsel, aviation operators, regulators, and legal teams.

Prerequisites

Gather before starting:

1. Issue statement — legal question, party posture, desired depth, decision use (advisory, compliance memo, litigation prep).
2. Jurisdiction — U.S. federal at minimum; add foreign states when international carriage is involved.
3. Sources — uploaded documents + whether fresh legal research is permitted.
4. Audience — client-facing vs internal counsel tone.
5. Constraints — confidentiality limits, preferred citation standards.

Quick Start

1. Triage sources (uploaded files → primary law → secondary → gap list).
2. Build authority table with citations, pinpoints, and confidence levels.
3. Draft summary sections (see below).
4. Run the analytical checklist.
5. Mark every unconfirmed authority with [VERIFY].

Core Workflow

1. Source Triage

Priority	Source	Action
1	Uploaded matter files	Extract facts, governing instruments, cited authorities, dates, procedural posture
2	Primary law	Pull statutes/regulations/treaties/cases; capture exact text and effective dates
3	Secondary sources	Context/trend analysis only; never sole basis for a legal rule
4	Gap assessment	Flag missing facts/authority; list what is needed to complete

2. Authority Capture

Type	Citation	Pinpoint	Jurisdiction	Core Holding/Rule	Relevance	Confidence
Statute/Regulation			US/Federal/State/Foreign
Treaty/Convention
Case Law
Agency Rule/Order

Add [VERIFY] to any citation, version, or quote not independently confirmed.

3. Required Summary Sections

Section	Minimum Content
Executive Overview	Core issue, controlling framework, top 5 takeaways, immediate risks
Regulatory Stack	FAA regime, DOT/TSA overlays, state law interactions, treaty intersections
Jurisdictional Map	Domestic vs international application; country-of-treatment analysis
Case Law Matrix	Case, citation, facts, holding, reasoning, practical effect, splits
Liability & Exposure	Accident/cargo/passenger exposure; limitation defenses; insurance/indemnity
Operations & Compliance	Certification, training, maintenance, reporting, record-retention, remedial controls
Enforcement & Proceedings	Civil/admin pathways, penalties, certificate actions, appeals, criminal thresholds
Emerging Issues	UAS, advanced air mobility, commercial space overlaps, open regulatory questions
Table of Authorities	Bluebook-formatted citations with pinpoints
Recommendations	Priority actions, documentation plan, escalation points, monitoring triggers

4. Analytical Checklist

• Distinguish regime by claim type:
  • Passenger/cargo claims: international carriage framework vs domestic.
  • Operational compliance: routes, slots, code-sharing.
  • Incident/accident: regulatory reporting vs civil exposure.
• Determine if treaty regime preempts or coexists with U.S. law.
• Confirm whether liability caps/defenses apply and when lost.
• Separate regulatory violation from tort exposure (no automatic civil shield).
• Track retroactivity and effective-date impacts.

Pitfalls

• No fabricated citations — never invent holdings, citations, or amendment dates.
• Thin sources — state "insufficient authority" and list exact missing items.
• Jurisdictional uncertainty — flag explicitly (state law overlay, treaty ratification timelines, forum clauses).
• Scope caveat — note when external search was used vs document-only analysis.
• U.S. federal first — escalate to foreign-source harmonization only when the fact pattern requires it.
• Neutral tone — evidence-first wording; avoid overbroad conclusions.