18 U.S.C. § 32

Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities

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(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.(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.)Editorial NotesReferences in Text

Section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, referred to in subsec. (b), is classified to section 1101(a)(22) of Title 8, Aliens and Nationality.

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (a)(5) to (7). Pub. L. 109–177, § 123(1), (2), added par. (5) and redesignated former pars. (5) and (6) as (6) and (7), respectively. Former par. (7) redesignated (8).

Subsec. (a)(8). Pub. L. 109–177, § 123(1), (3), redesignated par. (7) as (8) and substituted “paragraphs (1) through (7)” for “paragraphs (1) through (6)”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–177, § 123(4), substituted “paragraphs (1) through (6)” for “paragraphs (1) through (5)”.

1996—Subsec. (a)(7). Pub. L. 104–132, § 723(a)(1), inserted “or conspires” after “attempts”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–132, § 721(b), in closing provisions, struck out “, if the offender is later found in the United States,” before “be fined under this title” and inserted at end “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.”

Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 104–132, § 723(a)(1), inserted “or conspires” after “attempts”.

1994—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(S), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100,000” in concluding provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–322, § 330016(1)(O), substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $25,000”.

1988—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “interfering” for “intefering”.

1984—Pub. L. 98–473 amended section generally. Prior to amendment section read as follows:

“Whoever willfully sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any civil aircraft used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce; or

“Whoever willfully sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks any aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, or spare part with intent to damage, destroy, disable, or wreck any such aircraft; or

“Whoever, with like intent, willfully places or causes to be placed any destructive substance in, upon, or in proximity to any such aircraft, or any aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, spare part, fuel, lubricant, hydraulic fluid, or other material used or intended to be used in connection with the operation of any such aircraft, or any cargo carried or intended to be carried on any such aircraft, or otherwise makes or causes to be made any such aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, appliance, spare part, fuel, lubricant, hydraulic fluid, or other material unworkable or unusable or hazardous to work or use; or

“Whoever, with like intent, willfully sets fire to, damages, destroys, disables, or wrecks, or places or causes to be placed any destructive substance in, upon, or in proximity to any shop, supply, structure, station, depot, terminal, hangar, ramp, landing area, air-navigation facility or other facility, warehouse, property, machine, or apparatus used or intended to be used in connection with the operation, loading, or unloading of any such aircraft or making any such aircraft ready for flight, or otherwise makes or causes to be made any such shop, supply, structure, station, depot, terminal, hangar, ramp, landing area, air-navigation facility or other facility, warehouse, property, machine, or apparatus unworkable or unusable or hazardous to work or use; or

“Whoever, with like intent, willfully incapacitates any member of the crew of any such aircraft; or

“Whoever willfully attempts to do any of the aforesaid acts or things—

“shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.”

Statutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesEffective Date of 1984 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 98–473 effective Oct. 12, 1984, see section 2015 of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as a note under section 31 of this title.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 146 cases (6 in the last 5 years), 1961–2026 · leading case: United States v. Yousef, 327 F.3d 56 (2d Cir. 2003).

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United States v. Yousef, 327 F.3d 56 (2d Cir. 2003). · cites it 27× “§ 371 7 by conspiring to violate 18 U.S.C. § 32 (a)(1) by destroying aircraft in the special administrative jurisdiction of the United States and civil aircraft operated in foreign air commerce; and by conspiring to violate 18 U.”

United States v. Irek Hamidullin, 888 F.3d 62 (4th Cir. 2018). · cites it 15× “§ 2339A, and conspiring and attempting to destroy an aircraft of the United States Armed Forces, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 32 . Hamidullin contends that the district court erred in concluding that he was not entitled to combatant immunity under the Geneva Convention Relative…”

United States v. Flavio David Mendoza, 244 F.3d 1037 (9th Cir. 2001). · cites it 6× “GOODWIN, Circuit Judge: Flavio David Mendoza (“Mendoza”) appeals his conviction under 18 U.S.C. § 32 (a)(6). He contends that the district court erred: (1) by denying his motion for acquittal; (2) by allowing the jury to hear undisclosed expert testimony in violation of Federal…”

United States v. Vasquez, 611 F.3d 325 (7th Cir. 2010). · cites it 6× “1357 ("[F]or example, the destruction of an aircraft ( 18 U.S.C. § 32 ), or ... thefts from interstate shipments ( 18 U.”

United States v. Abu Ali, 528 F.3d 210 (4th Cir. 2008). · cites it 2× “§ 46502 (a)(2) (Count 8); and Conspiracy to Destroy Aircraft, 18 U.S.C.A. § 32 (b)(4) (Count 9). In March 2005, the government filed a motion pursuant to Rule 15 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure requesting an order allowing it to conduct depositions of the Saudi…”

United States v. Kevin Bishop, United States of Am. v. Edward Stokes, 66 F.3d 569 (3rd Cir. 1995). · cites it 4× “Notably, the dissent points to the language of 18 U.S.C. § 32 , which prohibits destruction of civil aircraft "used, operated, or employed in interstate, overseas, or foreign air commerce.”

United States v. Cain, 671 F.3d 271 (2d Cir. 2012). · cites it 3× “§ 1951 ), destruction of a civil aircraft ( 18 U.S.C. § 32 (a)), destruction of a facility used in interstate commerce ( 18 U.”

Higazy v. Templeton, 505 F.3d 161 (2d Cir. 2007). · cites it 2× “" According to this affidavit, the grand jury was "investigating various felony offenses, including, among others, the destruction of and conspiracy to destroy aircraft ( 18 U.S.C. § 32 ); bombing and bombing conspiracy ( 18 U.”

United States v. Umar Abdulmutallab, 739 F.3d 891 (6th Cir. 2014). · cites it 4× “(5) Willfully Placing a Destructive Device in, upon, and in Proximity to a Civil Aircraft Which was Used and Operated in Interstate, Overseas and Foreign Air Commerce, which was Likely to Have Endangered the Safety of Such Aircraft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 32 (a)(2). *896 (6)…”

United States v. Lamons, 532 F.3d 1251 (11th Cir. 2008). · cites it 3× “7 Count 2 alleged that Lamons willfully set fire to Comair Flight 5491, a civil aircraft in interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 32 (a)(1) and 32(a)(7). 8 Count 3 alleged that Lamons knowingly and unlawfully used fire in connection with the Comair incident to commit…”

United States v. Yunis, 681 F. Supp. 896 (D.D.C. 1988). · cites it 9× “§§ 1203 ; Counts III, IV and V — damaging, destroying, disabling and placing a destructive device upon an aircraft operating in foreign air commerce and committing acts of violence against aircraft personnel in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 32 (a)(1), (2) and (5). After Yunis was…”

United States v. Verdugo-Urquidez, 494 U.S. 259 (1990). · cites it 2× “§ 32 (b) (violence against an individual aboard or destruction of any "civil aircraft registered in a country other than the United States while such aircraft is in flight"); § 111 (assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees); § 115 (influencing, impeding,…”

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— 18 U.S.C. § 32(b)(2) — 1 case

United States Assistance to Countries That Shoot Down Civil Aircraft Involved in Drug Trafficking (OLC 1994).

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.