I 
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 fol-
lowing 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 Representa-
tives 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. 
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(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 trag-
ic helicopter accidents, including the crash of a heli-
copter 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 trag-
edies. 
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 rec-
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ommendations for crash-resistant systems, but only with 
respect to existing and new U.S.-registered turbine-pow-
ered rotorcraft certificated for 6 or more passenger seats: 
(1) Safety Recommendation A–06–017, issued 
on March 7, 2006 (relating to requiring all rotor-
craft operating under parts 91 and 135 of title 14, 
Code of Federal Regulations, with a transport-cat-
egory 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 com-
munications, and aircraft parametric data). 
(2) Safety Recommendation A–06–018, issued 
on March 7, 2006 (relating to not permitting exemp-
tions or exceptions to the flight recorder regulations 
that allow transport-category rotorcraft to operate 
without flight recorders, and withdrawing exemp-
tions 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 sys-
tem). 
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(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 applica-
ble regulation is issued; or 
(2) 2 years after the date on which the applica-
ble regulation is issued, if the Administrator deter-
mines appropriate. 
(c) EXEMPTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In issuing the regulations 
required under subsection (a), the Administrator 
may exempt any civilian helicopter that the Adminis-
trator 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 In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
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resentatives, the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate, and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the Senate a report de-
scribing the exemption, not later than the date on 
which the final regulation is issued. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the FAA. 
(2) FAA.—The term ‘‘FAA’’ means the Fed-
eral Aviation Administration. 
(3) NTSB.—The term ‘‘NTSB’’ means the Na-
tional Transportation Safety Board. 
Æ 
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