[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7182 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7182
To require certain helicopters to be equipped with safety technologies,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 11, 2020
Mr. Sherman (for himself, Mr. Takano, and Mr. Vargas) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require certain helicopters to be equipped with safety technologies,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Helicopter Safety Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The January 26, 2020, helicopter crash near Calabasas,
California, in which 9 individuals lost their lives, was a
tragic event.
(2) Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board
(NTSB) have noted that the helicopter involved in the fatal
January crash was not equipped with a Flight Data Recorder
(FDR), a Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), or a Terrain Awareness
and Warning System (TAWS).
(3) The NTSB has investigated numerous tragic helicopter
accidents, including the crash of a helicopter in the Gulf of
Mexico in 2004, in which 10 individuals lost their lives, and a
crash in Missouri in 2011, in which 4 individuals lost their
lives.
(4) The NTSB has provided recommendations to the FAA
regarding equipping helicopters with crash-resistant Flight
Data Recorders, Cockpit Voice Recorders, and Terrain Awareness
and Warning Systems.
(5) The FAA has not acted on several NTSB recommendations
for increased helicopter safety technologies that could
potentially avert future tragedies.
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION OF NTSB RECOMMENDATIONS.
(a) In General.--Subject to subsections (b) and (c), not later than
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator
shall issue such regulations as are necessary to implement the
following NTSB recommendations for crash-resistant systems, but only
with respect to existing and new U.S.-registered turbine-powered
rotorcraft certificated for 6 or more passenger seats:
(1) Safety Recommendation A-06-017, issued on March 7, 2006
(relating to requiring all rotorcraft operating under parts 91
and 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, with a
transport-category certification to be equipped with a cockpit
voice recorder (CVR) and a flight data recorder (FDR) or an
onboard cockpit image recorder with the capability of recording
cockpit audio, crew communications, and aircraft parametric
data).
(2) Safety Recommendation A-06-018, issued on March 7, 2006
(relating to not permitting exemptions or exceptions to the
flight recorder regulations that allow transport-category
rotorcraft to operate without flight recorders, and withdrawing
exemptions and exceptions that allow transport-category
rotorcraft to operate without flight recorders).
(3) Safety Recommendation A-06-019 issued on March 24, 2006
(relating to requiring all existing and new U.S.-registered
turbine-powered rotorcraft certificated for 6 or more passenger
seats to be equipped with a terrain awareness and warning
system).
(b) Timing for Equipment Compliance.--The regulations required to
be issued under subsection (a) shall require all U.S.-registered
turbine-powered rotorcraft certificated for 6 or more passenger seats
to be equipped with a Flight Data Recorder, a Cockpit Voice Recorder,
and a Terrain Awareness and Warning System that each meet the
respective requirements applicable under such regulations, not later
than--
(1) 1 year after the date on which the applicable
regulation is issued; or
(2) 2 years after the date on which the applicable
regulation is issued, if the Administrator determines
appropriate.
(c) Exemptions.--
(1) In general.--In issuing the regulations required under
subsection (a), the Administrator may exempt any civilian
helicopter that the Administrator determines appropriate from 1
or more of the equipment requirements of such regulations.
(2) Requirements.--If the Administrator issues a final
regulation that contains an exemption described in paragraph
(1), the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives, the Committee on Appropriations of the House
of Representatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate a report describing the exemption,
not later than the date on which the final regulation is
issued.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the FAA.
(2) FAA.--The term ``FAA'' means the Federal Aviation
Administration.
(3) NTSB.--The term ``NTSB'' means the National
Transportation Safety Board.
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