Aircraft Flight Risks (DEC 1988)

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this contract (particularly paragraph (g) of the Government Property (Cost-Reimbursement, Time-and-Materials, or Labor-Hour Contracts) clause and paragraph (c) of the Insurance - Liability to Third Persons clause), the Contractor shall not: (1) Be relieved of liability for damage to, or loss or destruction of, aircraft sustained during flight or (2) be reimbursed for liabilities to third persons for loss of or damage to property or for death or bodily injury caused by aircraft during flight, unless the flight crew members have previously been approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(b) For the purposes of this clause -

(1) Unless otherwise specifically provided in the Schedule, “aircraft” includes any aircraft, whether furnished by the Contractor under this contract (either before or after Government acceptance) or furnished by the Government to the Contractor under this contract, including all Government property placed or installed or attached to the aircraft, unless the aircraft and property are covered by a separate bailment agreement.

(2) “Flight” includes any flight demonstration, flight test, taxi test, or other flight made in the performance of this contract, or for the purpose of safeguarding the aircraft, or previously approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

(i) With respect to land-based aircraft, flight commences with the taxi roll from a flight line and continues until the aircraft has completed the taxi roll to a flight line.

(ii) With respect to seaplanes, flight commences with the launching from a ramp and continues until the aircraft has completed its landing run and is beached at a ramp.

(iii) With respect to helicopters, flight commences upon engagement of the rotors for the purpose of take-off and continues until the aircraft has returned to the ground and rotors are disengaged.

(iv) With respect to vertical take-off aircraft, flight commences upon disengagement from any launching platform or device and continues until the aircraft has been re-engaged to any launching platform or device.

(3) “Flight crew members” means the pilot, copilot, and, unless otherwise specifically provided in the Schedule, the flight engineer and navigator when required or assigned to their respective crew positions to conduct any flight on behalf of the Contractor.

(c) (1) If any aircraft is damaged, lost, or destroyed during flight and the amount of the damage, loss, or destruction exceeds $100,000 or 20 percent of the estimated cost, exclusive of any fee, of this contract, whichever is less, and if the Contractor is not liable for the damage, loss, or destruction under the Government Property (Cost-Reimbursement, Time-and-Materials, or Labor-Hour Contracts) clause of this contract or under paragraph (a) of this clause, an equitable adjustment for any resulting repair, restoration, or replacement required under this contract shall be made: (i) In the estimated cost, the delivery schedule, or both and (ii) in the amount of any fee to be paid to the Contractor, and the contract shall be modified in writing accordingly.

(2) In determining the amount of adjustment in the fee that is equitable, any fault of the Contractor, its employees, or any subcontractor that materially contributed to the damage, loss, or destruction shall be taken into consideration.