In the 1952 case Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. v. Koppal, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA). The dispute arose when TWA terminated an employee named Koppal for his union activities which was a violation of Section 152, Fourth of the Railway Labor Act that protects employees' right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives without interference from employers. However, TWA argued that they fired him due to insubordination and not because he was involved in union activities. The National Railroad Adjustment Board sided with TWA but on appeal, the District Court reversed this decision stating it lacked substantial evidence supporting it. This led to further appeal at the Supreme Court where Justice Reed delivered a unanimous opinion upholding that courts should defer to administrative expertise unless there is no rational basis for its decisions or if it has stepped outside its jurisdiction bounds; hence reinstating original ruling by National Railroad Adjustment Board.

In the dissenting opinion for Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. v. Koppal, Justice Robert H. Jackson disagreed with the majority's decision to hold an airline liable for a passenger's death due to unforeseen turbulence during flight under the Warsaw Convention of 1929 - an international treaty governing liability in cases of air travel accidents. He argued that such incidents should be considered as "acts of God" and not negligence on part of airlines because they are beyond human control or prediction using current technology and knowledge about weather patterns at high altitudes. He also expressed concern that this ruling could set a dangerous precedent by making airlines financially responsible for unpredictable natural phenomena, which would ultimately increase costs for passengers and potentially hinder advancements in aviation industry.