Should Pilots Of The Boeing 757 Not Have Reported Their Flight Level After Ascending?

I. List as many ethical issues as possible

1. Should the pilots of the Boeing 757 not have reported their flight level after ascending?

It is morally wrong. The reason is that if the air controller was not informed of the flight level, he could fail to perceive the potential collision, thus leading to fatal harm to lots of people. In nature, this action lead to potential fatal harm.

2. Should a traffic controller have been on break on a night shift and left his or her colleague "in charge of two navigation stations" (2)?

It is morally wrong. The reason is that the preoccupation of his or her colleague could make the controller unaware of the catastrophic collision and cause many people their lives. In nature, this action lead to potential

fatal harm.
3. Should an air traffic controller have been "in charge of two navigation stations" on a night shift (2)?
It is morally wrong. Similarly, the reason is that the preoccupation of an air traffic controller could lead to a catastrophic collision and kill many people. In nature, this action may cause potential fatal harm.
4.

Should an air traffic controller have been responsible for multiple navigation stations under any circumstance?

As a layman, this question is really hard to say. I would like to regard this action as morally wrong since chances are that this action may put others' lives in danger. In essence, taking safety into account, this action could be morally wrong.

5. Should the air traffic control system to have inadequate employees on duty on a night shift?

It's morally wrong. In this case, if there were three employees on duty on that night, no one would need to be in charge of multiple navigation stations and they would also have enough break, thus preventing the tragedy from happening to some extent. I think it's morally wrong for the air traffic control system to put inadequate employees on duty.

6. Should the technicians turn the main telephone system down for maintenance without informing the controllers of the condition of the backup telephone system?

It is morally wrong. The telephone systems are indispensable to "communicate with nearby airport" (2). If the controller had no idea that the backup system was down and that the urgent information was blocked, many people may lose their lives. In essence, this action may cause

harm.
7. Should the technicians turn the main telephone system down for maintenance without checking the condition of the backup telephone system?
It's morally wrong.

The failure of the telephone systems would block the communication between the pilots and the controllers, which put many people in hazard. In nature, this inconsiderate and irresponsible action may kill people.

8. Might an air traffic controller have been unaware that the telephone system was down and that the normal communication was blocked when he was on duty?

It is morally wrong. As for a responsible controller, the first thing he should do is to make sure that the telephone system work well. If he realized that the telephone system had no reply for a long time, he should contact the technicians immediately. In nature, an air traffic controller being ignorant of the conditions of the equipment used may put others in danger.

9. Should Swiss Air Traffic Control System have left the short-term conflict alert (STCA) be down?

It is morally wrong. Under urgent circumstances, the STCA could warn the controller of the potential danger and prevent the tragedies. In nature, turning off the device could put other people's life in danger.

10. Should a pilot not obeyed the order of the traffic collision and avoidance system (TCAS) but turned to an air traffic controller for help when the dangerous collision was

urgent?
It is morally right. In case of machine failure, the pilots should ask the control center for approvals before following the TCAS's orders. In nature, this action is morally right because of safety concern.
11. Should an air traffic controller not have been informed of the information of the traffic collision and avoidance system (TCAS)?
It is morally wrong. If the controller have no idea of the order of the TCAS in detail, conflicting orders could lead to tragedies and deprive people of their lives. In nature, this action might kill people.
12. Should the pilots receiving TCAS alert have reported the information to the air traffic controller in detail?
It's morally right. This action could effectively prevent the air traffic controller from giving an opposite instruction to the TCAS. In essence, it could save many people's lives.
13. Might the designers of TCAS have figured the ways of sending the urgent alarm to the Traffic Control Center?
It is morally right. Though this technical problem might be challenging, it might save a lot of people their lives in essence.

2. Choose the most important one
As far as I am concerned, I will choose this as the most significant issue-- "Should an air traffic controller have been in charge of multiple navigation stations?"
Explanation: In this case, if the controller was responsible for only one navigation, he could be more concentrated and be aware of the potential collision. If the controller warned the pilots of the collision and instructed them to ascend or descend to different flight levels in time, the tragedy would not happen in the first place. Thus, from my perspective, this is the most contributing factors leading to the Uberlingen case.
3. List facts that would help to resolve the most important issue/answer the question
Material Factors 1. The main and backup telephone systems were both not working.
2. The alerting information of TCAS "was not relayed to the air traffic controller" (3).
Facts Regarding Individuals 3. The air traffic controller on duty, Nielsen, was "in charge of two navigation stations", which made his attention "divided between them" (2, 2).
4. The pilots of 757 didn't report their new flight level to Nielsen after ascending.
5. The pilots of 154 didn't report to Nielsen that the TCAS directed 154 to descend to flight level.
6. Nielsen gave the pilots of 154 the instruction that was the opposite of the instruction received from the TCAS.
Facts Regarding Organizations 7. Two air traffic controllers were on duty that night.
8. The Russian training instructed the pilots to "follow the directions of air traffic controllers" (3).
List of the relevant missing facts
1. In the texture, it hasn't mentioned whether the air traffic control system have corresponding policies that allowed its controllers to be on break in turns on a night shift.
2. It hasn't mentioned how many navigation systems could an air traffic controller be in charge of based on the laws and regulations.
3. It hasn't mentioned why the pilots of 757 failed to inform Nielsen of the new flight level.

4. Make reasonable assumptions regarding missing facts, including brief justifications for your assumptions.
1. In the texture, it hasn't mentioned whether the air traffic control system have corresponding policies that allowed its controllers to be on break in turns on a night shift.
Assumptions:
a. Due to safety concern, the air traffic control system had prohibited its employees from taking break on a night shift.
b. The air traffic control system had allowed its employees to take a nap on a night shift for the sake of its employees' health. But an air traffic controllers was not allowed to monitor multiple navigation systems in case of the potential danger.
c. The air traffic control system had allowed its employees to take a nap on a night shift for the sake of its employees' health. Also, an air traffic controllers was allowed to monitor multiple navigation systems.
2. It hasn't mentioned how many navigation systems could an air traffic controller be in charge of based on the laws and regulations.
Assumptions:
a. One. The laws and regulations in Swiss banned controllers from being in charge of multiple navigation systems because the preoccupation of an air traffic controller could lead to potential air crash.
b. Multiple. The human resource might be precious in Swiss and the air traffic control system didn't have enough people to work controllers. Thus, the air traffic controllers were allowed to be in charge of multiple navigation systems at the same time.
3. It hasn't mentioned why the pilots of 757 failed to inform Nielsen of the new flight level.
Assumptions:
a. The pilots of 757 "reported its ascent" but the radio frequency interference blocked that information (2).
b. The pilots of 757 forgot to report its new flight level.

5. Clarify the use of any potentially ambiguous terminology you've used so far