22 C.F.R. § 102.14 Salvage of mail and other property.
Title 22 - Foreign Relations
(a) Mail. Article 3, sections 6 and 7, of the Air Mail Provisions annexed to the Universal Postal Union Convention, Paris, 1947, provide that the personnel who survive the aircraft accident shall, when possible, deliver the mail to the post office nearest the place of the accident or to the one best-qualified to reforward the mail. If the aircraft personnel are unable to do this, the local post office concerned shall make every effort, without delay, to take delivery of the mail and to forward it to the offices of designation by the most rapid means, after determining the condition of the correspondence and reconditioning it if damaged. Most post offices are familiar with these provisions, but if in any case the mail is not being properly cared for, the local Foreign Service post should bring the proper procedure to the attention of the nearest post office. (b) Diplomatic pouches. Immediately upon arriving at the scene of the accident, the Foreign Service representative should ascertain whether the aircraft was carrying a courier or diplomatic pouches. If a courier is found to be aboard, the same personal arrangements should be made for him as are made for other passengers (see §§102.10 to 102.13). An immediate search should also be made for whatever diplomatic pouches the courier may have been carrying and for any pouches that may have been carried as regular cargo. Usually, the cargo manifest will list diplomatic pouches carried as air freight or cargo. The passenger manifest normally will list the total number of pieces of luggage or pouches checked by a courier (if one is aboard), but since he usually carries his pouches with him into the cabin of the plane, the pouch invoices on his person or in his briefcase will offer positive proof of the number of pouches he had in his custody. If any are found, they should be cleared through appropriate government officials of the country and taken to the nearest United States Foreign Service office to await disposition instructions. If it is learned that the postal authorities have already recovered United States diplomatic pouches that may have been involved, these pouches should be obtained from the postal authorities and taken to the nearest United States Foreign Service office to await diposition instructions. A telegraphic message should be dispatched to the Department and to the regional courier office having jurisdiction over that area, giving a description of the pouches recovered. This description should include the office of addressor and addressee and the classification indicator (C, A, or S). The Department and the regional courier office will coordinate instructions to the office for the disposition of these pouches. (c) Baggage, personal effects and cargo. The Foreign Service representative should request the local authorities to arrange for the security storage and protection of such baggage, personal effects and cargo as is recoverable from the aircraft until the property can be released to its owners by local customs and accident investigating authorities, or by the courts. When released, the personal effects of United States citizens, who died in the accident, should be taken into possession and disposed of by the local Foreign Service post in accordance with the procedure prescribed in §§72.15 to 72.55 of this chapter.
Title 22: Foreign Relations
PART 102—CIVIL AVIATION
Subpart A—United States Aircraft Accidents Abroad
§ 102.14 Salvage of mail and other property.
