18 U.S.C. § 32 — Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities

submitted 70 years ago by ch. 595 to r/title-18-CRIMES-AND-CRIMINAL-PROCEDURE · 707 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

This federal law makes it a crime to willfully damage, destroy, or endanger aircraft, air navigation facilities, or people on aircraft used in U.S. commerce or under U.S. jurisdiction. Violators face up to 20 years in prison, or up to 5 years for making a false threat.

(a) It is a crime to willfully do any of the following to an aircraft in U.S. special jurisdiction, or a civil aircraft used in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce: (1) Set fire to, damage, destroy, disable, or wreck it. (2) Place a destructive device on it, or otherwise make it unworkable, unusable, or hazardous, in a way likely to endanger its safety. (3) Set fire to, damage, destroy, or disable an air navigation facility, or interfere with it by force, in a way likely to endanger an aircraft in flight. (4) With intent to damage, destroy, or disable an aircraft, attack any equipment, structure, ramp, landing area, or other facility used to operate, maintain, load, unload, or store the aircraft or its cargo. (5) Interfere with or disable someone operating the aircraft or an air navigation facility, intending to endanger safety or recklessly disregarding it. (6) Commit an act of violence against, or incapacitate, someone on the aircraft, in a way likely to endanger the aircraft's safety. (7) Knowingly communicate false information that could reasonably endanger the aircraft's safety in flight. (8) Attempt or conspire to do any of the above. Anyone who does these things can be fined or imprisoned up to 20 years, or both. (b) Separate crimes apply to foreign-registered civil aircraft: willfully committing violence against someone on board while the aircraft is in flight, if likely to endanger it; destroying the aircraft or damaging it so it can't fly or is likely unsafe, while it is in service; placing a device or substance likely to cause that damage; or attempting or conspiring to do these things. These carry the same fine or up to 20 years in prison, or both. U.S. courts have jurisdiction over these offenses if a U.S. national was on board or would have been, if the offender is a U.S. national, or if the offender is later found in the United States. "National of the United States" has the meaning given in the Immigration and Nationality Act. (c) Willfully threatening to do any act that would violate subsection (a)(1)–(6) or (b)(1)–(3), with an apparent intent and will to carry it out, is punishable by a fine or up to 5 years in prison, or both.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(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 causes to be made unworkable or unusable or hazardous to work or use, any such aircraft, or any part or other materials used or intended to be used in connection with the operation of such aircraft, if such placing or causing to be placed or such making or causing to be made is likely to endanger the safety of any such aircraft;

(3)

sets fire to, damages, destroys, or disables any air navigation facility, or interferes by force or violence with the operation of such facility, if such fire, damaging, destroying, disabling, or interfering is likely to endanger the safety of any such aircraft in flight;

(4)

with the intent to damage, destroy, or disable any such aircraft, sets fire to, damages, destroys, or disables or places a destructive device or substance in, upon, or in proximity to, any appliance or structure, ramp, landing area, property, machine, or apparatus, or any facility or other material used, or intended to be used, in connection with the operation, maintenance, loading, unloading or storage of any such aircraft or any cargo carried or intended to be carried on any such aircraft;

(5)

interferes with or disables, with intent to endanger the safety of any person or with a reckless disregard for the safety of human life, anyone engaged in the authorized operation of such aircraft or any air navigation facility aiding in the navigation of any such aircraft;

(6)

performs an act of violence against or incapacitates any individual on any such aircraft, if such act of violence or incapacitation is likely to endanger the safety of such aircraft;

(7)

communicates information, knowing the information to be false and under circumstances in which such information may reasonably be believed, thereby endangering the safety of any such aircraft in flight; or

(8)

attempts or conspires to do anything prohibited under paragraphs (1) through (7) of this subsection;

shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years or both.

(b)

Whoever willfully—

(1)

performs an act of violence against any individual on board any civil aircraft registered in a country other than the United States while such aircraft is in flight, if such act is likely to endanger the safety of that aircraft;

(2)

destroys a civil aircraft registered in a country other than the United States while such aircraft is in service or causes damage to such an aircraft which renders that aircraft incapable of flight or which is likely to endanger that aircraft’s safety in flight;

(3)

places or causes to be placed on a civil aircraft registered in a country other than the United States while such aircraft is in service, a device or substance which is likely to destroy that aircraft, or to cause damage to that aircraft which renders that aircraft incapable of flight or which is likely to endanger that aircraft’s safety in flight; or

(4)

attempts or conspires to commit an offense described in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection;

shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. There is jurisdiction over an offense under this subsection if a national of the United States was on board, or would have been on board, the aircraft; an offender is a national of the United States; or an offender is afterwards found in the United States. For purposes of this subsection, the term “national of the United States” has the meaning prescribed in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

(c)

Whoever willfully imparts or conveys any threat to do an act which would violate any of paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (a) or any of paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (b) of this section, with an apparent determination and will to carry the threat into execution shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

Source credit: (Added July 14, 1956, ch. 595, § 1, 70 Stat. 539; amended Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 2013(b), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2187; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7016, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4395; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(O), (S), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148; Pub. L. 104–132, title VII, §§ 721(b), 723(a)(1), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1298, 1300; Pub. L. 109–177, title I, § 123, Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 226.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1956Enacted · Act of July 14, 1956, ch. 595 · 70 Stat. 539
1984Amended · Pub. L. 98-473 · 98 Stat. 2187
1988Amended · Pub. L. 100-690 · 102 Stat. 4395
1994Amended · Pub. L. 103-322 · 108 Stat. 2148
1996Amended · Pub. L. 104-132 · 110 Stat. 1298, 1300
2006Amended · Pub. L. 109-177 · 120 Stat. 226

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 595 on 1956-07-14.

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