(a) No person may accept a hazardous material for transportation aboard an aircraft unless the aircraft operator ensures the hazardous material is:

(1) Authorized, and is within the quantity limitations specified for carriage aboard aircraft according to § 172.101 of this subchapter or as otherwise specifically provided by this subchapter.

(2) Described and certified on a shipping paper prepared in duplicate in accordance with part 172 of this subchapter or as authorized by subpart C of part 171 of this subchapter. See § 175.33 for shipping paper retention requirements;

(3) Marked and labeled in accordance with subparts D and E of part 172 or as authorized by subpart C of part 171 of this subchapter, and placarded (when required) in accordance with subpart F of part 172 of this subchapter; and

(4) Labeled with a “CARGO AIRCRAFT ONLY” label (see § 172.448 of this subchapter) if the material as presented is not permitted aboard passenger-carrying aircraft.

(b) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this section, no person may carry a hazardous material in a package or overpack aboard an aircraft unless the package or overpack is inspected by the operator of the aircraft immediately before placing it:

(1) Aboard the aircraft; or

(2) In a unit load device or on a pallet prior to loading aboard the aircraft.

(c) A hazardous material may be carried aboard an aircraft only if, based on the inspection by the operator, the package or overpack containing the hazardous material:

(1) Has no leakage or other indication that its integrity has been compromised; and

(2) For Class 7 (radioactive) materials, does not have a broken seal, except packages contained in overpacks need not be inspected for seal integrity.

(d) The requirements of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section do not apply to Dry ice (carbon dioxide, solid).

(e) An overpack containing packages of hazardous materials may be accepted only if the operator has taken all reasonable steps to establish that:

(1) The proper shipping names, identification numbers, labels and special handling instructions appearing on the inside packages are clearly visible or reproduced on the outside of the overpack, and

(2) The word “OVERPACK” appears on the outside of the overpack when specification packagings are required.

[71 FR 14604, Mar. 22, 2006, as amended at 72 FR 25177, May 3, 2007; 73 FR 57006, Oct. 1, 2008; 76 FR 3383, Jan. 19, 2011; 79 FR 46040, Aug. 6, 2014; 80 FR 1164, Jan. 8, 2015; 83 FR 52899, Oct. 18, 2018]