Court Opinion

ID: 9465422
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 00:46:00.76624+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:39:10.354657
License: Public Domain

ELY, Circuit Judge
(dissenting):
I respectfully dissent. Federal regulations require airlines to prepare a security program that includes airfreight within its scope. 14 C.F.R. § 121.538(c)(3); see also §§ 121.538(e) and (g) (pertaining to FAA Administrator approval, modification, and amendment of airline security programs). If the challenged inspection in this case were conducted pursuant to such a security program, then I believe that the inspection *801fell within “the government’s administrative scheme to strengthen the security of air transportation.” United States v. Fannon, 556 F.2d 961, 965 (9th Cir. 1977). As such, it would be subject to the Fourth Amendment. United States v. Davis, 482 F.2d 893, 904 (9th Cir. 1973). On the other hand, if the inspection were not conducted as a part of, or pursuant to, an approved security program, then I do not believe that it would have been within the ambit of a governmental scheme. In such event, the inspection would not, I think, be subject to Fourth Amendment restrictions. See United States v. Sherwin, 539 F.2d 1, 5-6 (9th Cir. 1976) (en banc).
The factual record before us does not indicate whether United Airlines operated under an approved security program, or if it did so operate, whether the inspection here involved was conducted pursuant to that program. Without this critical information, I cannot determine which rule of law should properly be applied. In short, I submit that the majority is issuing a significant opinion without the benefit of factual determinations that it should have required. Accordingly, I would remand the cause so as to allow the District Court to make the critical factual decisions that I find lacking in the present record.