Amends title 49, United States Code, to mandate that certain rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, must comply with fuel system crash resistance requirements.
Establishes the “Helicopter Passenger Protection Act.”
Directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator to task the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee with:
Reviewing data and recommendations from the Rotorcraft Occupant Protection Working Group.
Updating a 2018 report on rotorcraft occupant protection using National Transportation Safety Board data from 2016 to 2023.
Developing recommendations to encourage helicopter owners and operators to install crash-resistant fuel systems regardless of the aircraft’s original certification and manufacture date.
Sets a deadline of 18 months for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee to submit recommendations to the FAA Administrator.
Requires the FAA Administrator to begin implementing consensus safety recommendations within 180 days of receiving them and to partner with the United States Helicopter Safety Team to facilitate implementation of industry recommendations.
Prohibits operating in U.S. airspace any rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, without a certified crash-resistant fuel system within 5 years of the enactment of this subsection, with specific compliance requirements detailed.
Specifies that the prohibition does not apply to unmanned aircraft that do not carry occupants.
