AOPA says it’s concerned about a not-so-subtle change in the wording of the text descriptions of temporary flight restrictions (TFRs). The FAA is now warning pilots they could be held criminally responsible for violating TFRs. AOPA says the agency has always had that ability but seeing it in black and white raises the specter that those powers will actually be employed. AOPA President Phil Boyer has written the FAA asking that pilots who accidentally bust TFRs not face criminal proceedings. “Security-related flight restrictions can occur virtually anywhere in the country with little advance notice. It is not uncommon that the average pilot has to pick through pages and pages of irrelevant and unrelated NOTAMs to find these important airspace restrictions,” Boyer wrote to acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell. The new passage in the TFRs seems to stress that criminal action will follow only if the pilot violates the TFR on purpose. “Any person who knowingly or willfully violates the rules concerning operations in this airspace is subject to certain criminal penalties under 49 USC 46307,” the passage reads.
Criminal Reference In TFRs Rankles AOPA
Key Takeaways:
- AOPA is concerned about new wording in FAA Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) descriptions that explicitly warns pilots of potential criminal responsibility for violations.
- AOPA President Phil Boyer has asked the FAA not to pursue criminal charges for accidental TFR busts, citing the difficulty pilots face in sifting through numerous NOTAMs to find critical airspace restrictions.
- The new TFR language specifies that criminal penalties apply to individuals who "knowingly or willfully" violate the rules concerning operations in restricted airspace.
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