[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 49, Volume 2] [Revised as of October 1, 2002] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 49CFR173.27] [Page 425-427] TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION CHAPTER I--RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PART 173--SHIPPERS--GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS--Table of Contents Subpart B--Preparation of Hazardous Materials for Transportation Sec. 173.27 General requirements for transportation by aircraft. (a) The requirements of this section are in addition to the requirements in Sec. 173.24 and apply to packages offered or intended for transportation aboard aircraft. Notwithstanding any Packing Group III performance level specified in Column 5 of the Sec. 172.101 table, the required performance level for packages containing Class 4, 5, or 8 materials, when offered or intended for transportation aboard aircraft, is at the Packing Group II performance level, unless otherwise excepted from performance requirements in subpart E of this part. (b) Packages authorized on board aircraft. (1) When Column 9a of the Sec. 172.101 table indicates that a material is ``Forbidden'', that material may not be offered for transportation or transported aboard passenger-carrying aircraft. (2) When Column 9b of the Sec. 172.101 table indicates that a material is ``Forbidden'', that material may not be offered for transportation or transported aboard aircraft. (3) The maximum quantity of hazardous material in a package that may be offered for transportation or transported aboard a passenger-carrying aircraft or cargo aircraft may not exceed that quantity prescribed for the material in Column 9a or 9b, respectively, of the Sec. 172.101 table. (4) A package containing a hazardous material which is authorized aboard cargo aircraft but not aboard passenger aircraft must be labeled with the CARGO AIRCRAFT ONLY label required by Sec. 172.402(c) of this subchapter and may not be offered for transportation or transported aboard passenger-carrying aircraft. (c) Pressure requirements. (1) Packagings must be designed and constructed to prevent leakage that may be caused by changes in altitude and temperature during transportation aboard aircraft. (2) Packagings for which retention of liquid is a basic function must be capable of withstanding without leakage the greater of-- (i) An internal pressure which produces a gauge pressure of not less than 75 kPa (11 psig) for liquids in Packing Group III of Class 3 or Division 6.1; or 95 kPa (14 psig) for other liquids; or (ii) A pressure related to the vapor pressure of the liquid to be conveyed, determined by one of the following: [[Page 426]] (A) The total gauge pressure measured in the receptacle (i.e., the vapor pressure of the material and the partial pressure of air or other inert gases, less 100 kPa (15 psia)) at 55 deg.C (131 deg.F), multiplied by a safety factor of 1.5; determined on the basis of a filling temperature of 15 deg.C (59 deg.F) and a degree of filling such that the receptacle is not completely liquid full at a temperature of 55 deg.C (131 deg.F) or less; (B) 1.75 times the vapor pressure at 50 deg.C (122 deg.F) less 100 kPa (15 psia); or (C) 1.5 times the vapor pressure at 55 deg.C (131 deg.) less 100 kPa (15 psia). (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (c)(2) of this section-- (i) Hazardous materials may be contained in an inner packaging which does not itself meet the pressure requirement provided that the inner packaging is packed within a supplementary packaging which does meet the pressure requirement and other applicable packaging requirements of this subchapter. (ii) Packagings which are subject to the hydrostatic pressure test and marking requirements of Secs. 178.605 and 178.503(a)(5), respectively, of this subchapter must have a marked test pressure of not less than 250 kPa (36 psig) for liquids in Packing Group I, 80 kPa (12 psig) for liquids in Packing Group III of Class 3 or Division 6.1, and 100 kPa (15 psig) for other liquids. (d) Closures. Stoppers, corks or other such friction-type closures must be held securely, tightly and effectively in place by positive means. Each screw-type closure on any packaging must be secured to prevent closure from loosening due to vibration or substantial change in temperature. (e) Absorbent materials. Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, liquids in Packing Group I or II of Class 3, 4, 5, 6, or 8, when in glass or earthenware inner packagings, must be packaged using material capable of absorbing and not likely to react dangerously with the liquid. Absorbent material is not required if the inner packagings are so protected that breakage of them and leakage of their contents from the outer packaging is not likely to occur under normal conditions of transportation and is not required for packagings containing liquids in Packing Group II for transport aboard cargo aircraft only. Where absorbent material is required and an outer packaging is not liquid- tight, a means of containing the liquid in the event of leakage must be used in the form of a leakproof liner, plastic bag or other equally efficient means of containment. Where absorbent material is required, the quantity and disposition of it in each outer packaging must be as follows: (1) For packagings containing liquids in Packing Group I offered for transportation or transported aboard passenger-carrying aircraft, each packaging must contain sufficient absorbent material to absorb the contents of all inner packagings containing such liquids; (2) For packagings containing liquids in Packing Group I offered for transportation or transported aboard cargo aircraft only and packagings containing liquids in Packing Group II offered for transportation or transported aboard passenger aircraft, each package must contain sufficient absorbent material to absorb the contents of any one of the inner packagings containing such liquids and, where they are of different sizes and quantities, sufficient absorbent material to absorb the contents of the inner packaging containing the greatest quantity of liquid. (f) Combination packagings. Unless otherwise specified in this part, or in Sec. 171.11 of this subchapter, when combination packagings are offered for transportation aboard aircraft, inner packagings must conform to the quantity limitations set forth in table 1 of this paragraph for transport aboard passenger-carrying aircraft and table 2 of this paragraph for transport aboard cargo aircraft only, as follows: [[Page 427]] Table 1--Maximum Net Capacity of Inner Packaging for Transportation on Passenger-Carrying Aircraft ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum authorized net capacity of each inner packaging Maximum net quantity per package from ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Column 9a of the Sec. 172.101 table Glass, earthenware or fiber inner packagings Metal or plastic inner packagings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Liquids: Not greater than 0.5L.............. 0.5L............................... 0.5L. Greater than 0.5L. not greater than 0.5L............................... lL. lL. Greater than 1L, not greater than 1L................................. 5L. 5L. Greater than 5L, not greater than 2.5L............................... 10L. 60L. Greater than 60L, not greater than 5L................................. 25L. 220L. Greater than 220L.................. No limit........................... No limit. Solids: Not greater than 5 kg.............. 0.5 kg............................. 1 kg. Greater than 5 kg, not greater than 1 kg............................... 2.5 kg. 25 kg. Greater than 25 kg, not greater 5 kg............................... 10 kg. than 200 kg. Greater than 200 kg................ No limit........................... No limit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2--Maximum Net Capacity of Inner Packaging for Transportation on Cargo Aircraft ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maximum authorized net capacity of each inner packaging Maximum net quantity per package from ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Column 9b of the Sec. 172.101 table Glass, earthenware or fiber inner packagings Metal or plastic inner packagings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Liquids: Not greater than 2.5L.............. 1L................................. 1L. Greater than 2.5L, not greater than 2.5L............................... 2.5L. 30L. Greater than 30L, not greater than 5L................................. 10L. 60L. Greater than 60L, not greater than 5L................................. 25L. 220L. Greater than 220L.................. No limit........................... No limit. Solids: Not greater than 15 kg............. 1 kg............................... 2.5 kg. Greater than 15 kg, not greater 2.5 kg............................. 5 kg. than 50 kg. Greater than 50 kg, not greater 5 kg............................... 10 kg. than 200 kg. Greater than 200 kg................ No limit........................... No limit. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (g) Cylinders. For any cylinder containing hazardous materials and incorporating valves, sufficient protection must be provided to prevent operation of, and damage to, the valves during transportation, by one of the following methods: (1) By equipping each cylinder with securely attached valve caps or protective headrings; or (2) By boxing or crating the cylinder. (h) Tank cars and cargo tanks. Any tank car or cargo tank containing a hazardous material may not be transported aboard aircraft. [Amdt. 173-224, 55 FR 52612, Dec. 21, 1990, as amended at 56 FR 66266, Dec. 20, 1991; Amdt. 173-138, 59 FR 49133, Sept. 26, 1994; 65 FR 58629, Sept. 29, 2000; 66 FR 45380, Aug. 28, 2001]