Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Friendliest aviation Ccmmunity on the web
  • Modern site for PC's, Phones, Tablets - no 3rd party apps required
  • Ask questions, help others, promote aviation
  • Share the passion for aviation
  • Invite everyone to Flightinfo.com and let's have fun

Need help finding regs related to tampering with seatbelts...

Welcome to Flightinfo.com

  • Register now and join the discussion
  • Modern secure site, no 3rd party apps required
  • Invite your friends
  • Share the passion of aviation
  • Friendliest aviation community on the web
Are you looking to charge somebody with something or seeing how stiff the penalty will be if you want to take a souvenier?

I personally can't fathom why someone would need to steal a seatbelt from an operational aircraft as a souvenier, when they could relatively easily purchase one from a boneyard / chopshop, or eBay (and probably from a much cooler aircraft!).

I find it peculiar that tampering with smoke detectors falls under a FAR, but not tampering with other safety devices.

Any case, thanks for the responses.
 
I don't think you will find this in the FAA regulations. It is the FBI that does the violation on damaging a US tail number aircraft (removing required parts would fall under damage). Never found out what regulation they used for court.
It might not be a regulation. Criminal offenses are defined by statute not regulation. Chances are that there is something in 18 U.S.C. (the federal criminal code) that applies. One I know of is 18 U.S.C. §32 that deals with destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, but that seems more geared toward large scale destruction rather than seat belt tampering. But it's certainly possible that it's been applied to smaller items.

I haven't looked any further than that.
 
Mark, I do not know. When any person does damage an aircraft, we just call the FBI office and they take care of it. Who they may call or what they do is out of my area of "need to know".
 
It might not be a regulation. Criminal offenses are defined by statute not regulation. Chances are that there is something in 18 U.S.C. (the federal criminal code) that applies. One I know of is 18 U.S.C. §32 that deals with destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, but that seems more geared toward large scale destruction rather than seat belt tampering. But it's certainly possible that it's been applied to smaller items.

I haven't looked any further than that.


I'm just making a general point here. (Have nothing to add re: seatbelts.) A statute can give an agency (and court) authority for imposing criminal
sanctions for violations of the agency's regulations, and can in general terms set forth the penalties (fines, imprisonment, etc.), but the elements of the offense in such a case would be "defined" by the pertinent regulation(s). An example is OSHA. The OSHA Act sets forth potential fines and other penalties (including potential imprisonment) for violations/willful violations of OSHA regs, but the regs themselves define the conduct/standards/elements which constitute the offense. So, I would caution against any supposition that there is never any criminal liability for violations of regulations.
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3371
 
Last edited:

Latest resources

Back
Top