Richard Ashby

* My family and I have more reason than many to be disturbed by the clearing of Capt. Richard Ashby (March 5). We spent a very happy afternoon above Cavalese about six months before the tragic accident. One of the high points was the trip up and down the mountain on the ill-fated gondola. Much more troubling is what our hosts told us immediately after the incident. They are long-time residents of the valley and spoke of the complaints which had been made to American military authorities about planes that constantly buzzed an otherwise serene locale. They did not seem surprised by the accident, only profoundly saddened and angered.

I’m not in a position to second-guess Ashby’s guilt or innocence. But I believe this horror could and should have been prevented.

MAT KAPLAN

Long Beach

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* I was stunned by the verdict in the manslaughter trial against Ashby. Not only does it underscore what a “boys club” our military really is, but it also perpetuates the stereotype of us as Ugly Americans. Ashby says that if he had the opportunity to meet the victims’ families he’d “just like to give them a hug.” How about an apology?

TONI OSBORNE-RUNKLE

Westwood

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* Motorists caught for breaking the law are liable for the infraction irrespective of their claimed ignorance of the rules that govern them; however, according to a Camp Lejeune jury, pilots may flout military and international flight regulations with impunity. Perhaps the verdict would have been different if Ashby, flat-hatting his EA-6B Prowler at 350 feet and 621 mph, had sliced through a gondola cable in Mammoth or Park City, sending 20 Americans to their deaths.

ALLAN HOLLINGSWORTH

West Hollywood