[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 4]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR249.3]

[Page 203]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
   CHAPTER II--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 
                         (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS)
 
PART 249--PRESERVATION OF AIR CARRIER RECORDS--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart A--General Instructions
 
Sec. 249.3  Preservation of records.

    (a) All records listed in Secs. 249.20 and 249.21 may be preserved 
on either paper or nonerasable microfilm (see Sec. 249.4). However, a 
paper or microfilm record need not be created to satisfy the 
requirements of this part if the record is initially prepared in a 
machine-readable medium such as punched cards, magnetic tapes, and 
disks. The records maintained in machine-readable media and the 
underlying data used in their preparation shall be preserved for the 
periods prescribed in Secs. 249.20 and 249.21. A paper or microfilm 
record shall not be destroyed after transfer to a machine-readable 
medium before expiration of the prescribed period: however, a waiver 
permitting the early destruction of paper or microfilm records 
transferred to a machine-readable medium may be granted by the Director, 
Office of Airline Information, when it is demonstrated by the requesting 
carrier that the substantive purpose of the retention requirement will 
be met by retention of the information in machine-readable form (see 
Sec. 249.10).
    (b) Each record kept in a machine-readable medium shall be 
accompanied by a statement clearly indicating the type of data included 
in the record and certifying that the information contained in it is 
complete and accurate. This statement shall be executed by a person 
having personal knowledge of the facts contained in the records. The 
records shall be indexed and retained in such a manner so that they are 
easily accessible, and the carrier shall have the facilities available 
to locate, identify and reproduce the records in readable form without 
loss of clarity. Authorized representatives of the DOT shall be given 
immediate access to the carrier's facilities upon request.
    (c) If any record which must be retained under the provisions of 
Secs. 249.20 and 249.21 is included as an exhibit to another document 
which must also be retained, the carrier need only keep in its files one 
copy of the record to satisfy these record retention requirements. In 
these cases, the carrier shall establish adequate cross-references to 
assist in locating the record.
    (d) The provisions in this part do not excuse noncompliance with 
requirements of any other governmental body, Federal or State, 
prescribing longer retention periods for any records.

[ER-1214, 46 FR 25415, May 6, 1981, as amended at 60 FR 66725, Dec. 26, 
1995]