PUBLIC LAW 98-473—OCT. 12, 1984
98 STAT. 2187
PART B—AIRCRAFT SABOTAGE
Aircraft Sabotage Act.
SHORT TITLE
SEC. 2011. This part may be cited as the "Aircraft Sabotage Act".
18 USC 31 note.
STATEMENT OF FINDINGS AND PURPOSE
SEC. 2012. The Congress hereby finds that— (1) the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation (ratified by the United States on November 1, 1972) requires each contracting State to establish its jurisdiction over certain offenses affecting the safety of civil aviation; (2) such offenses place innocent lives in jeopardy, endanger national security, affect domestic tranquility, gravely affect interstate and foreign commerce, and are offenses against the law of nations; and (3) the purpose of this subtitle is to implement fully the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Civil Aviation and to expand the protection accorded to aircraft and related facilities. SEC. 2013. (a) Section 31 of title 18, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the first paragraph by— (A) striking out "and" before the term "spare part" and inserting "and 'special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States' " after the term "spare part"; and (B) striking out "Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938" and inserting in lieu thereof "Federal Aviation Act of 1958"; (2) by striking out "and" at the end of the third undesignated paragraph thereof; (3) by striking the period at the end thereof and inserting in lieu thereof ";"; and (4) by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraphs: " 'In flight' means any time from the moment all the external doors of an aircraft are closed following embarkation until the moment when any such door in opened for disembarkation. In the case of a forced landing the flight shall be deemed to continue until competent authorities take over the responsibility for the aircraft and the persons and property on board; and " 'In service' means any time from the beginning of preflight preparation of the aircraft by ground personnel or by the crew for a specific flight until twenty-four hours after any landing; the period of service shall, in any event, extend for the entire period during which the aircraft is in flight.". (b) Section 32 of title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: "§ 32. Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities "(a) Whoever willfully— "(1) sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States or any civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce; "(2) places or causes to be placed a destructive device or substance in, upon, or in proximity to, or otherwise makes or
Safety. 18 USC 31 note. 24 UST 564.
24 UST 564. Ante, p. 2141.
Penalties.
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