# Do the FARs prohibit sex while acting as a pilot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024 "2015-08-16T21:17:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/1 "2015-08-16T21:17:11Z")
[Pilot killed in small plane crash had disciplinary record](http://news.yahoo.com/pilot-killed-small-plane-crash-had-disciplinary-record-021135965.html) > [@](#): > > [In 2009] he lost his flight privileges after he was captured on videotape receiving oral sex from a porn actress while he flew a helicopter over San Diego. Under what regulation is receiving a BJ while flying prohibited? (I’m so proud I didn’t say anything about him ‘holding onto his cyclic stick’ or ‘pulling his collective’. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/2 "2015-08-16T21:41:19Z")
Even if they don’t have specific regulations against sex, there’s probably something in there about “flying while distracted” or the like. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/3 "2015-08-16T21:45:57Z")
The Federal Acquisition Regulation covers a lot, but I doubt it would cover that. ---
**Author:** ![Nelson\_Pike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Nelson\_Pike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nelson_Pike)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/4 "2015-08-16T21:49:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [Pilot killed in small plane crash had disciplinary record](http://news.yahoo.com/pilot-killed-small-plane-crash-had-disciplinary-record-021135965.html) > > Under what regulation is receiving a BJ while flying prohibited? > > (I’m so proud I didn’t say anything about him ‘holding onto his cyclic stick’ or ‘pulling his collective’. 🙂 ) Great contribution from a charter member who takes deserved pride in said contribution. Thanks Johnny! I expect that even if there is no reg specifically prohibiting BJWF there is some catchall reg to the effect that no distractions are permitted in the cockpit. (And oh, Johnny, you think you can keep your pride intact by not saying anything about "cock"pit?) ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/5 "2015-08-16T21:55:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Even if they don’t have specific regulations against sex, there’s probably something in there about “flying while distracted” or the like. This. No states I know of specifically mention getting road head either. I’m willing to bet in pretty much every state they can ticket you for it, if caught. ‘Distracted Driving’ ‘impeding the actions of an operator’ ‘seat belt laws’. I’m sure they can get creative with the existing laws for anything not specifically covered. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/6 "2015-08-16T21:59:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Even if they don’t have specific regulations against sex, there’s probably something in there about “flying while distracted” or the like. Hm. I guess it could be covered under FAR 91.13, ‘Careless or reckless operation’. I’d sure like to know under what specific rule they yanked his ticket though. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/7 "2015-08-16T22:16:46Z")
PDF with all the details [here](http://www.ntsb.gov/legal/alj/OnODocuments/Aviation/5447.PDF) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/8 "2015-08-16T22:22:13Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > PDF with all the details [here](http://www.ntsb.gov/legal/alj/OnODocuments/Aviation/5447.PDF) So it _was_ 91.13. Thanks. > [@](#): > > The law judge found respondent had violated § 91.13(a) when he performed a sex act with a female passenger while airborne, while both the passenger and respondent had lap belts and shoulder harnesses unlatched, while respondent’s clothing during the performance of the sex act risked interfering with the helicopter’s controls, and while the passenger was in a position to interfere with the helicopter’s controls, all of which occurred as respondent was operating the helicopter above a populated area. We deny respondent’s appeal. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/9 "2015-08-16T22:25:26Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > PDF with all the details [here](http://www.ntsb.gov/legal/alj/OnODocuments/Aviation/5447.PDF) That decision cites [14 CFR § 91.13](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/91.13), which, as expected, is titled “Careless or reckless operation.” ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/10 "2015-08-16T22:47:31Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Hm. I guess it could be covered under FAR 91.13, ‘Careless or reckless operation’. > > I’d sure like to know under what specific rule they yanked his ticket though. § 91.13 Careless or reckless operation. (a) Aircraft operations for the purpose of air navigation. No person may operate an aircraft in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another. …the order alleged that respondent’s access to the collective pitch control was restricted during the commission of the sex act … FAA is definitely more fun that the FDA. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2015, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/11 "2015-08-16T23:28:25Z")
Her name was Puma Swede. The “co-pilot” on that flight that is. You can find it her you go to a little effort. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/12 "2015-08-17T01:15:45Z")
Larry Lujack (a well-known Chicago radio DJ) told a story in his book about a newsman on his station who was, uh, serviced on the air during a newscast. Not sure what FCC regulations were violated on that one. ---
**Author:** ![bardos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bardos/32/1069_2.png) [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/13 "2015-08-17T08:28:05Z")
I would like to see a real survey about what percentage of flight crew that have had some type of sex in the cockpit. What percentage do you think this would give? WAG? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/14 "2015-08-17T13:42:51Z")
It can be fatal. The crash investigators had to be discreet as well as accurate in [this report](http://www.airaffair.com/Library/Archive/Part1/mile_high_crash), about the ultimate “dead stick landing”. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-fars-prohibit-sex-while-acting-as-a-pilot/728024/15 "2015-08-17T15:07:46Z")
I remember some years ago there was a car accident on a main road near me. The newspaper report was, understandably, vague, but there were two men in the car, one driving and one in the back. There were also two young women in the car. The woman in the back seat suffered a painful injury to one breast, while the driver was rushed to hospital suffering from a serious loss of blood. Reading between the lines - the ‘lady’ in the back seat lost a nipple and the driver had a badly bitten penis. He was driving at over 50 mph on a country lane at the time.