I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8393 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that certain rotorcraft 

manufactured before April 5, 2020, comply with requirements relating 

to fuel system crash resistance, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 14, 2024 

Mr. NEGUSE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require that 

certain rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, 

comply with requirements relating to fuel system crash 

resistance, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Helicopter Passenger 

5 Protection Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CRASH-RESISTANT FUEL SYSTEMS IN ROTORCRAFT. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 

3 Aviation Administration shall task the Aviation Rule4 making Advisory Committee to— 

5 (1) review the data analysis conducted and the 

6 recommendations developed by the Aviation Rule7 making Advisory Committee Rotorcraft Occupant 

8 Protection Working Group of the Administration; 

9 (2) update the 2018 report of such working 

10 group on rotorcraft occupant protection by— 

11 (A) reviewing National Transportation 

12 Safety Board data from 2016 through 2023 on 

13 post-crash fires in helicopter accidents; and 

14 (B) determining whether and to what ex15 tent crash-resistant fuel systems could have 

16 prevented fatalities; and 

17 (3) develop recommendations for either the Ad18 ministrator or the helicopter industry to encourage 

19 helicopter owners and operators to expedite the in20 stallation of crash-resistant fuel systems in the air21 craft of such owners and operators regardless of 

22 original certification and manufacture date. 

23 (b) SCHEDULE.— 

24 (1) DEADLINE.—Not later than 18 months 

25 after the Administrator tasks the Aviation Rule26 making Advisory Committee under subsection (a), 


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1 the Committee shall submit the recommendations 

2 developed under subsection (a)(2) to the Adminis3 trator. 

4 (2) IMPLEMENTATION.—If applicable, and not 

5 later than 180 days after receiving the recommenda6 tions under paragraph (1), the Administrator 

7 shall— 

8 (A) begin implementing, as appropriate, 

9 any consensus safety recommendations the Ad10 ministrator receives from the Aviation Rule11 making Advisory Committee, and brief the 

12 Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc13 ture of the House of Representatives and the 

14 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans15 portation of the Senate on any recommenda16 tions the Administrator does not implement; 

17 and 

18 (B) partner with the United States Heli19 copter Safety Team, as appropriate, to facilitate 

20 implementation of any recommendations for the 

21 helicopter industry pursuant to subsection 

22 (a)(2). 

23 SEC. 3. HELICOPTER FUEL SYSTEM SAFETY. 

24 Section 44737 of title 49, United States Code, is 

25 amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a)(2) by striking ‘‘the date 

2 that is 18 months after the date of enactment of 

3 this section’’ and inserting ‘‘April 5, 2020’’; 

4 (2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as 

5 subsections (c) and (d), respectively; and 

6 (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol7 lowing: 

8 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION FOR ROTORCRAFT MANUFAC9 TURED BEFORE APRIL 5, 2020.— 

10 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 5 years 

11 after the date of enactment of this subsection, a per12 son may not operate in United States airspace a 

13 rotorcraft manufactured before April 5, 2020, for 

14 which the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Ad15 ministration has issued a standard airworthiness 

16 certificate, unless such rotorcraft includes a fuel sys17 tem that is certified by the Administrator to— 

18 ‘‘(A) comply with the requirements applica19 ble to the category of the rotorcraft under para20 graphs (1), (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 

21 27.952(a), section 27.952(f), and section 

22 27.963(g) (but allowing for a minimum punc23 ture force of 250 pounds) or paragraphs (1), 

24 (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section 29.952(a), sec25 tion 29.952(f), and section 29.963(b) (but alVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:54 Jun 14, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8393.IH H8393

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•HR 8393 IH

1 lowing for a minimum puncture force of 250 

2 pounds) of title 14, Code of Federal Regula3 tions, as in effect on the date of enactment of 

4 this subsection; or 

5 ‘‘(B) employ other means acceptable to the 

6 Administrator to provide an equivalent level of 

7 fuel system crash resistance. 

8 ‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—This subsection shall not 

9 apply to an unmanned aircraft that does not carry 

10 any occupants.’’. 

Æ 


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