I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1049
To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow the arming of pilots of 
cargo aircraft, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2003
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. STEARNS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to allow the arming 
of pilots of cargo aircraft, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Arming Cargo Pilots 
Against Terrorism Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) During the 107th Congress, both the Sen-
ate and the House of Representatives overwhelm-
ingly passed measures that would have armed pilots 
of cargo aircraft. 
(2) Cargo aircraft do not have Federal air mar-
shals, trained cabin crew, or determined passengers 
to subdue terrorists. 
(3) Cockpit doors on cargo aircraft, if present 
at all, largely do not meet the security standards re-
quired for commercial passenger aircraft. 
(4) Cargo aircraft vary in size and many are 
larger and carry larger amounts of fuel than the air-
craft hijacked on September 11, 2001. 
(5) Aircraft cargo frequently contains haz-
ardous material and can contain deadly biological 
and chemical agents and quantities of agents that 
cause communicable diseases. 
(6) Approximately 12,000 of the Nation’s 
90,000 commercial pilots serve as pilots and flight 
engineers on cargo aircraft. 
(7) There are approximately 2,000 cargo flights 
per day in the United States, many of which are 
loaded with fuel for outbound international travel or 
are inbound from foreign airports not secured by the 
Transportation Security Administration.
(8) Aircraft transporting cargo pose a serious 
risk as potential terrorist targets that could be used 
as weapons of mass destruction. 
(9) Pilots of cargo aircraft deserve the same 
ability to protect themselves and the aircraft they 
pilot as other commercial airline pilots. 
(10) Permitting pilots of cargo aircraft to carry 
firearms creates an important last line of defense 
against a terrorist effort to commandeer a cargo air-
craft. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that a member of a flight deck crew of a cargo air-
craft should be armed with a firearm to defend the cargo 
aircraft against an attack by terrorists that could result 
in the use of the aircraft as a weapon of mass destruction 
or for other terrorist purposes. 
SEC. 3. ARMING CARGO PILOTS AGAINST TERRORISM. 
Section 44921 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended—
(1) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘passenger’’ 
each place that it appears; and 
(2) in subsection (k)—
(A) in paragraph (2)—
(i) by striking ‘‘or,’’ and all that fol-
lows; and
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or any other flight 
deck crew member.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) ALL-CARGO
AIR
TRANSPORTATION.—For 
the purposes of this section, the term air transpor-
tation includes all-cargo air transportation.’’. 
SEC. 4. IMPLEMENTATION. 
(a) TIME FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The training of 
pilots as Federal flight deck officers required in the 
amendments made by section 3 shall begin as soon as 
practicable and no later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(b) EFFECT ON OTHER LAWS.—The requirements of 
subsection (a) shall have no effect on the deadlines for 
implementation contained in section 44921 of title 49, 
United States Code, as in effect on the day before the date 
of enactment of this Act.
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