49 U.S.C. § 46501 — Definitions

(1) "Aircraft in flight" means an aircraft from the moment every outside door closes after boarding, (A) until one outside door opens to let passengers off, or (B) — if the plane makes a forced landing — until the right authorities take over responsibility for the aircraft and the people and property on it. (2) "Special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States" covers these aircraft while in flight: (A) a U.S. civil aircraft; (B) a U.S. armed forces aircraft; (C) any other aircraft that is in the United States; (D) any other aircraft outside the United States that (i) has its next scheduled stop, or its last place of departure, in the United States, if it then lands in the United States; (ii) has an offense committed on it (as the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft defines "offense"), if the aircraft lands in the United States with that person still aboard; or (iii) has an offense committed against it (as defined in a specific article of the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation), if the aircraft lands in the United States with that person still aboard; and (E) any other aircraft leased, without a crew, to someone whose main place of business is in the United States, or — if they have no main place of business — whose permanent home is in the United States. (3) An individual commits an "offense," as the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft defines it, when — while on an aircraft in flight — they (A) use any form of intimidation to unlawfully seize or take control of the aircraft, or try to; or (B) act as an accomplice to someone who does (A).