91.41—Cleaning and disinfecting of aircraft.
Prior to loading of animals, the stowage area of aircraft to be used to export animals under the provisions of this part shall, under the supervision of an inspector, be cleaned and then disinfected using a freshly prepared solution of 4 percent sodium carbonate plus 0.1 percent sodium silicate. In addition, all loading ramps, fittings, and equipment to be used in loading the animals on the aircraft shall be cleaned and disinfected using an approved disinfectant listed in § 71.10 of this chapter. The time at which the cleaning and disinfection is performed must be approved by the inspector, who will give approval only if he or she determines that the cleaning and disinfection will be effective up to the projected time of loading of animals. If the animals are not loaded by the projected time, the inspector shall determine whether further cleaning and disinfection are necessary. The cleaning must remove all garbage, soil, manure, plant materials, insects, paper, and other debris from the stowage area. The disinfectant solution must be applied with a device that creates an aerosol or mist that covers 100 percent of the surfaces in the stowage area, except for any loaded cargo and deck surface under it that, in the opinion of the inspector, do not contain materials that may contain animal disease pathogens such as garbage, soil, manure, plant materials, insects, waste paper, or debris. After cleaning and disinfection is performed, the inspector shall sign and deliver to the captain of the aircraft or other responsible official of the airline involved, a document stating that the aircraft has been properly cleaned and disinfected, and stating further the date, the carrier, the flight number, and the name of the airport and the city and state in which it is located. If an aircraft is cleaned and disinfected at one airport, then flies to a subsequent airport, with or without stops en route, to load animals for export, the inspector at the subsequent airport will determine, based on examination of the cleaning and disinfection documents, whether the previous cleaning and disinfection is adequate or whether to order a new cleaning and disinfection. If the aircraft has loaded any cargo in addition to animals, the inspector at the subsequent airport will determine whether to order a new cleaning and disinfection based on both examination of the cleaning and disinfection documents and inspection of the stowage area for materials that may contain animal disease pathogens such as garbage, soil, manure, plant materials, insects, waste paper, or debris.