§1134. Inspections and autopsies
(a)
(1) on display of appropriate credentials and written notice of inspection authority, may enter property where a transportation accident has occurred or wreckage from the accident is located and do anything necessary to conduct an investigation; and
(2) during reasonable hours, may inspect any record, including an electronic record, process, control, or facility related to an accident investigation under this chapter.
(b)
(2) Any civil aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or property on an aircraft involved in an accident in air commerce shall be preserved, and may be moved, only as provided by regulations of the Board.
(c)
(1) does not interfere unnecessarily with transportation services provided by the owner or operator of the vehicle, vessel, rolling stock, track, or pipeline component; and
(2) to the maximum extent feasible, preserves evidence related to the accident, consistent with the needs of the investigation and with the cooperation of that owner or operator.
(d)
(e)
(f)
(2) With or without reimbursement, the Board may obtain a copy of an autopsy report performed by a State or local official on an individual who died because of a transportation accident investigated by the Board under this chapter.
(g)
(1) any recorder or recorded information pertinent to the accident;
(2) without undue delay, information the Board determines necessary to enable the Board to read and interpret any recording device or recorded information pertinent to the accident; and
(3) design specifications or data related to the operation and performance of the equipment the Board determines necessary to enable the Board to perform independent physics-based simulations and analyses of the accident situation.
(
| Revised Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
|---|---|---|
| 1134(a) | 49 App.:1903(b)(2) (1st sentence words before 3d comma, 3d sentence). | Jan. 3, 1975,
|
| 1134(b) | 49 App.:1441(c) (2d sentence), (d). | Aug. 23, 1958,
|
| 49 App.:1655(d) (1st sentence). | Oct. 15, 1966,
|
|
| 49 App.:1903(a)(1)(A). | Jan. 3, 1975,
|
|
| 1134(c) | 49 App.:1903(b)(2) (1st sentence words after 3d comma, 2d sentence). | |
| 1134(d) | 49 App.:1903(b)(2) (5th, last sentences). | |
| 1134(e) | 49 App.:1903(b)(2) (4th sentence). | |
| 1134(f) | 49 App.:1441(c) (last sentence). | |
| 49 App.:1655(d) (1st sentence). | ||
| 49 App.:1903(a)(1)(A), (b)(5). |
In subsection (a), before clause (1), the word "officer" is added for consistency in the revised title.
In subsection (b)(1), the words "investigating an aircraft accident" are substituted for "carrying out its duties" in 49 App.:1441(c) for clarity. The words "inspect and test" are substituted for "examine and test" for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code.
In subsection (c), before clause (1), the words "In carrying out subsection (a)(1) of this section, an officer or employee" are added because of the restatement. The words "or any part of any such item" are omitted as surplus. The words "when such examination or testing is determined to be required for purposes of such investigation" are omitted as unnecessary because of the words "do anything necessary to conduct an investigation" in subsection (a)(1) of this section. In clause (1), the word "obstruct" is omitted as being included in "interfere".
In subsection (d), the word "individuals" is substituted for "persons" the 2d time that word is used for clarity. The words "The Board shall make any of those decisions" are substituted for "and shall be made" because of the restatement.
In subsection (e), the word "promptly" is substituted for "with reasonable promptness" to eliminate unnecessary words.
In subsection (f)(1), the words "In the case of any fatal accident" in 49 App.:1441(c) are omitted as surplus. The words "to examine the remains of any deceased person aboard the aircraft at the time of the accident, who dies as a result of the accident" are omitted as unnecessary because of the authority of the Board to conduct autopsies.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2024-Subsec. (g).
2018-Subsec. (a)(2).