richards argued november decided february petitioners personal representatives passengers killed commercial airplane crashed missouri en route oklahoma new york maximum amount recoverable missouri wrongful death act either paid tendered airline sued federal district oklahoma recover federal tort claims act additional amounts claimed due oklahoma wrongful death act contains limitation amount single person may recover tortfeasor claimed government federal aviation agency negligently failed enforce terms civil aeronautics act regulations thereunder prohibited practices used airline overhaul depot oklahoma district dismissed complaint appeals affirmed held judgment affirmed pp tort claims act congress enacted rule requires federal courts multistate tort actions look first instance law state acts negligence took place pp reading statute whole due regard purpose requires application whole law state act omission occurred including rules pp federal district oklahoma appeals tenth circuit interpreted pertinent oklahoma decisions declaring action wrongful death based statute place injury occurred caused death determination question state law accepted controlling missouri statute therefore controls case petitioners failed state claims upon relief granted pp truman rucker argued cause petitioners briefs edward richard medalie argued cause brief solicitor general cox assistant attorney general orrick alan rosenthal sherman cohn patterson argued cause american airlines respondent briefs fred mock chief justice warren delivered opinion question decided case law federal district apply action brought federal tort claims act act negligence occurs one state results injury death another state basic provision tort claims act government shall liable tortious conduct committed employees acting within scope employment circumstances private person liable claimant accordance law place act omission occurred parties urge alternatives selecting law determine liability statute internal law place negligence occurred whole law including rules place negligence occurred internal law place operative effect negligence took place although particular facts case relatively unimportant deciding question us brief recitation necessary set context decision petitioners personal representatives passengers killed airplane owned respondent american airlines crashed missouri en route tulsa oklahoma new york city suit brought petitioners federal district northern district oklahoma theory government federal aviation agency negligently failed enforce terms civil aeronautics act regulations thereunder prohibited practices used american airlines overhaul depot tulsa oklahoma petitioners case either already received settlement airlines maximum amount recoverable missouri wrongful death act tendered amount sought additional amounts oklahoma wrongful death act contains limitation amount single person may recover tortfeasor government filed complaint american airlines seeking reimbursement amount petitioners might recover pretrial hearing district ruled complaints failed state claims upon relief granted oklahoma act since statute applied extraterritorially act omission occurring oklahoma results injury death state missouri alternatively noted oklahoma law applicable federal tort claims act general law oklahoma including conflicts law rule applicable thereunder thus precluding recovery since oklahoma conflicts rule refer law missouri place negligence operative effect dismissing petitioners complaints found unnecessary pass upon complaint asserted government american appeal appeals tenth circuit affirmed judgment divided vote majority agreeing lower complaints failed state cause action upon relief based either oklahoma missouri wrongful death act dissent chief judge believing congress intended internal law place act omission occurred control rights liabilities parties stated thought error apply oklahoma rule remanded case determination liability oklahoma act question confronting us important one recurring nature made apparent conflicting views expressed solution lower federal courts five circuits arisen resolution question reached adoption one another alternatives urged upon us parties suit petitioners contention reference section place act omission occurred directs application internal law state oklahoma supported seventh circuit decision voytas district columbia circuit eastern air lines union trust app well dissenting judge tenth circuit instant case government interpretation act order also give effect section providing shall liable manner private individual must refer whole law state act omission occurred adhered second circuit landon well tenth circuit case bar american airlines although willing abide interpretation advanced government suggests alternative internal law place negligence operative effect missouri control construction act supported ninth circuit decision marshall dissenting opinion union trust case supra resolve threefold conflict enunciate rule applied uniformly tort claims act cases granted certiorari principal provision federal tort claims act originally enacted title iv legislative reorganization act section reading pertinent part district courts shall exclusive jurisdiction civil actions claims money damages injury loss property personal injury death caused negligent wrongful act omission employee government acting within scope office employment circumstances private person liable claimant accordance law place act omission occurred shall liable respecting tort claims manner extent private individual like circumstances shall liable interest prior judgment punitive damages ii legislative history act although generally extensive except negative way helpful solving problem law applied tort action presented facts case repeatedly observed congress consider problems long period legislation prepared enactment concern congress illustrated legislative history problem person injured employee operating government vehicle otherwise acting within scope employment situations rarely involving question instances negligence injury normally occur simultaneously single jurisdiction law applied clear solution meaning words law place act omission occurred required however faced events touching one place problem congress apparently explicitly consider thus compelled give content critical words tort claims act congress expressly stated government liability determined application particular law law place act omission occurred must course start assumption legislative purpose expressed ordinary meaning words used believe difficult conceive precise language congress used command application law place negligence occurred words employ tort claims act thus first reject alternative urged american airlines legislative materials cited us american lack probative force judicial sense completely unpersuasive support argument congress intended words act omission refer place negligence operative effect ease application inherent rule urged american lends certain attractiveness bound operate within framework words chosen congress question wisdom latter process construction conclude congress tort claims act enacted rule requires federal courts multistate tort actions look first instance law place acts negligence took place iii however task completed rejected third alternative stated initially inconsistent express terminology act must determine reach words law place embrace whole law place negligence occurred internal law place problem unlike initial question discussed ii supra dealt formal expression congress must therefore establish rule applied uniformly lower federal courts due regard variant interests policies expressed tort claims act legislation believe fundamental section statute read isolation context whole act fulfilling responsibility interpreting legislation must guided single sentence member sentence look provisions whole law object policy assume congress intended set courts completely adrift state law regard questions provided specific definite answer act one us indicated intimately related state law thus conclude reading statute whole due regard purpose requires application whole law state act omission occurred led conclusion persuasive factors notwithstanding fact conflict among lower federal courts must resolve illustrates also reasonable alternative view expressed petitioners first interpretation enables federal courts treat private individual like circumstances thus consistent act considered whole general rule followed vast majority apply law place injury substantive rights parties therefore forum state one act omission occurred interpretation enable federal courts treat individual treated like circumstances moreover interpretation act provides degree flexibility law applied federal courts possible view advanced either petitioners american recently tendency part depart general conflicts rule order take account interests state significant contact parties litigation see compelling reason saddle act interpretation prevent federal courts implementing policy rules state negligence occurred adopted continue rejection older rule situations application might appear inappropriate inequitable flexibility inherent interpretation also step judicial approach well character legislation purpose act considered whole absence persuasive evidence contrary believe congress intended adopt inflexible rule urged upon us petitioners despite power congress enact litigation type federal rule independent development rules particularly type interstitial legislation involved assume done persuaded require independent federal rule petitioners argument instances specifically set forth act liability private person state law seems sufficient note congress specific instances intended federal courts depart completely state law also list exceptions contains direct indirect modification principles controlling application rules certainly nothing legislative history even remotely supports argument congress intend state conflict rules apply multistate tort actions brought government interpretation act find unnecessary judge effect oklahoma courts pronouncements oklahoma wrongful death act given extraterritorial effect iv view state power adopt appropriate doctrine situation touching one place indicated discussion part iii opinion one state sufficiently substantial contact activity question forum state analysis interests possessed involved constitutionally apply decision case law one another state interest multistate activity thus oklahoma state free apply either law law place negligence occurred law missouri law place injury occurred action brought courts involving factual situation federal district sitting oklahoma appeals tenth circuit interpreted pertinent oklahoma decisions held controlling declare action wrongful death based statute place injury occurred caused death therefore missouri statute controls case bar conceded petitioner received maximum amount recoverable missouri act petitioners thus received full compensation claims accordingly courts correct holding accordance oklahoma law petitioners failed state claims upon relief granted judgment affirmed footnotes stat administrator federal aviation agency charged responsibility enforcing rules regulations controlling inspection maintenance overhaul repair equipment used air transportation mo rev subsequent origination actions missouri code amended provide maximum damages mo rev okla tit opinion district reported gochenour francisco stat see feres detailed analysis purposes federal tort claims act context legislative history soriano sherwood klaxon stentor electric mfg see vanston bondholders protective committee green mckenzie irving trust duhme federal deposit ins see holmberg armbrecht clearfield trust duhme federal deposit ins royal indemnity board see also discussion hart wechsler federal courts federal system et seq hearings house committee judiciary sess sess sess sess see harv rev iowa rev see sess hearings note supra hearings subcommittee house committee judiciary sess hearings subcommittee senate committee judiciary sess cong rec cong rec see knecht irish praylou somerset seafood olson modla supp irvin supp hearings house committee judiciary sess american suggests support argument found testimony francis shea assistant attorney general house committee judiciary stated asked claimant might bring suit act venue provision allowed suit brought either claimant resides injury took place venue provision act also contains words wherein act omission complained occurred american contends reference place injury occurred control meaning act omission language section addition fact testimony bears relation problems considerations underlying problem venue substantially different determining applicable law persuaded allow isolated piece legislative history detract act words congress expressly employed labor board lion oil cherokee intermarriage cases panama refining ryan cardozo dissenting mastro plastics labor board quoting boisdore heirs quoted text supra well provides treated individual defendant like circumstances restatement conflict laws rule repeated frequently citation cases serve purpose collection cases see goodrich conflict laws stumberg conflict laws death nn example petitioners instant case brought suit american well petitioners interpretation act district determine american liability law missouri law oklahoma construction act however defendants liability determined law missouri however venue provision statute allowing suit brought plaintiffs reside well act omission occurred see knecht olson situation may arise district determine government private individual liability exactly manner grant mcauliffe cal schmidt driscoll hotel haumschild continental casualty see currie survival actions adjudication versus automation conflict laws stan rev cf vrooman beech aircraft levy daniels auto renting caldwell gore la burkett globe indemnity miss addition cases cited note supra see opinion justice black vanston bondholders protective committee green stated context different analogous problem determining contact significant particular transaction courts seldom find complete solution mechanical formulae conflicts law determination requires exercise informed judgment balancing interests significant contacts order best accommodate equities among parties policies act permits claimants sue federal courts state courts available actions private individual act prescribes period limitations may shorter longer state claimant obtain trial jury act although private individual claimant obtain interest prior judgment suits act regardless state rule governing private individuals claimant obtain punitive damages act even though state law may provide private defendant claimant recover damages claim arising assault battery false imprisonment false arrest malicious prosecution abuse process libel slander misrepresentation deceit interference contract rights whereas recover damages private individual claimant obtain recovery claim arising foreign country although private individual act exempts government liability claims based various types activities although private individual liable circumstances fact despite ambiguity exists history due fact congress specifically consider problem legislative material indicates congress thought terms state law applicable term law place act omission occurred particularized law situs wrongful act omission hearings house committee judiciary sess local law sess sess sess sess local tort law hearings house committee judiciary sess law situs alleged tort hearings subcommittee senate committee judiciary sess locale injury damage hearings house committee judiciary sess gochenour francisco see fenton sinclair refining supra pp cases cited see also carroll lanza watson employers liability pacific employers ins industrial accident cf hartford accident indemnity delta pine land home insurance dick see cases cited note supra alabama carroll otey midland valley connecticut valley lumber maine central el paso mccomus tex civ app holding law place injury controls schmidt driscoll hotel holding law place negligence controls see also hunter derby foods rev gochenour francisco miller tennis see fenton sinclair refining aware oklahoma cases cited note supra injury negligence occurred sister state two courts relied largely dictum cases conclude oklahoma follow general rule law place injury control even negligence caused injury taken place oklahoma petitioners contend erroneous interpretation state law ordinarily accept determinations courts appeals questions state law circumstances presented general box estate spiegel commissioner huddleston dwyer