‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary of Transportation shall issue regulations that 
require in accordance with this section all commer-
cial aircraft that must carry both a cockpit voice re-
corder and digital flight data recorder to be 
equipped with 2 combination cockpit voice and dig-
ital flight data recording systems. One system shall 
be located as close to the cockpit as practicable, and 
the other shall be mounted as far rear on the air-
frame as practicable and shall be a deployable re-
corder system. 
‘‘(2) MINIMUM CAPABILITIES.—Both recording 
systems shall be capable of recording all mandatory 
data parameters covering the previous 25 hours of 
operation and all cockpit audio, including controller-
pilot data link messages for the previous 2 hours of 
operation. 
‘‘(3) COCKPIT
SYSTEM.—The system located 
near the cockpit shall be powered by the electrical 
bus to provide the second highest reliability for oper-
ation without jeopardizing service to essential or 
emergency loads. In addition, such system shall be 
provided with an independent power source that is 
located with the combination recorder and that auto-
matically engages and provides 10 minutes of oper-
ation whenever normal aircraft power ceases. 
‘‘(4) REAR SYSTEM.—The rear system shall be 
powered by the electrical bus to provide the max-
imum reliability for operation without jeopardizing 
service to essential or emergency loads. In addition, 
such system shall be provided with an independent 
power source that is located with the combination 
recorder and that automatically engages and pro-
vides 10 minutes of operation whenever normal air-
craft power ceases. 
‘‘(b) SCHEDULE FOR INSTALLATION OF DUAL COM-
BINED SYSTEMS.—The regulations shall require the in-
stallation of front combination fixed recorder systems and 
rear combination, deployable recorder system required 
under this section on commercial aircraft that are ordered 
by an air carrier on or after January 1, 2005. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 
definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT.—The term ‘com-
mercial aircraft’ means—
‘‘(A) a jet aircraft with 10 or more seats 
or greater than 12,500 pound maximum takeoff 
weight; and
‘‘(B) a propeller driven aircraft with great-
er than 19 seats or greater than 19,000 pound 
maximum takeoff weight. 
‘‘(2) DEPLOYABLE
RECORDER
SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘deployable recorder system’ means a digital 
flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder and 
emergency locator transmitter housed as one unit 
within an assembly that is designed to be mounted 
conformal to the surface of the airframe, eject from 
the aircraft upon accident and fly away from the 
crash site, and float indefinitely on water.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘44727. Installation of additional flight recorders.’’.
SEC. 4. PURCHASE OF FIXED AND DEPLOYABLE RECORDER 
SYSTEMS. 
The Secretary of Transportation shall purchase and 
make available, at no cost, to an air carrier (as defined 
in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code) such 
fixed recorder systems and deployable recorder systems as 
may be necessary for the air carrier to comply with the 
regulations issued under section 44727 of such title. 
SEC. 5. REIMBURSEMENT OF AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS. 
The Secretary of Transportation shall reimburse air-
craft manufacturers owned or controlled by a citizen of
the United States (as defined in section 40102 of title 49, 
United States Code) for engineering, certification, and in-
stallation costs they incur in developing and installing 
fixed recorder systems and deployable recorder systems to 
comply with the regulations issued under section 44727 
of such title.
Æ