AOPA Toughens Stance on Aircraft Searches

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 08:38 PM ET

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** Photo by Gerald L Nino via CBP** Gerald L Nino

Key Takeaways:

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is challenging federal agents, specifically U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), for detaining and searching general aviation aircraft and pilots without cause, often more than 100 miles from U.S. borders.
CBP defends these stops as part of ramp checks, citing potential for "further investigation or search" based on "reasonable suspicion," but AOPA's lawyers argue this authority does not extend to criminal investigations unrelated to aircraft safety.
AOPA has filed a Freedom of Information Act request, is seeking congressional support, and is gathering detailed incident reports from pilots to contest what it considers unwarranted aircraft searches.

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The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has filed a federal freedom of information request and is marshalling support in Congress as part of a broad effort to stop federal agents from detaining and searching general aviation airplanes flown by pilots who have done nothing wrong.

AOPA has sent a letter to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency asking it to explain its legal authority for conducting stops and searches of GA airplanes, in many cases more than 100 miles from any U.S. border. The association says it has heard from more than 40 pilots who have been stopped by federal agents, some of them more than once on the same trip.