en route from the United Kingdom to the United 
States, demonstrates that continued threats to com-
mercial airliners, particularly to those aircraft oper-
ating long-distance flights over ocean waters, remain 
a national security concern. 
(5) The recent FAA ruling to increase the al-
lowable distance that extended-operation multiengine 
aircraft (known as ETOPs) can travel from an 
emergency or diversion airport increases the poten-
tial for more difficult location and recovery of fixed 
flight data and cockpit voice recorder units. 
(6) It is in the public interest that aircraft be 
equipped with recorder units that can be recovered 
immediately after an incident involving an aircraft. 
SEC. 3. REGULATIONS REQUIRING DEPLOYABLE RECORD-
ERS AND OTHER PURPOSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 447 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 44729. Installation of additional flight recorders 
‘‘(a) REGULATIONS.— 
‘‘(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-
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cial aircraft in extended-range operations that are 
required to carry fixed cockpit voice recorder and 
digital flight data recorder units also be equipped 
with a second recorder system that utilizes 
deployable combination cockpit voice and digital 
flight 
data 
recorder 
technology. 
The 
second 
deployable recorder system shall be mounted as far 
rear on the airframe as practicable. 
‘‘(2) MINIMUM CAPABILITIES.—The deployable 
recorder system shall be— 
‘‘(A) 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 pre-
vious 2 hours of operation; 
‘‘(B) powered by the electrical bus to pro-
vide the maximum reliability for operation with-
out jeopardizing service to essential or emer-
gency loads; and 
‘‘(C) provided with an independent power 
source that is located with the combination re-
corder and that automatically engages and pro-
vides 10 minutes of operation whenever normal 
aircraft power ceases. 
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‘‘(b) SCHEDULE
FOR INSTALLATION
OF SECOND 
COMBINED SYSTEM.—The regulations shall require the 
installation of the deployable combination recorder system 
required under this section on commercial aircraft that are 
ordered by an air carrier on or after January 1, 2009. 
‘‘(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, to eject 
from the aircraft upon accident and safely land away 
from the crash site, and to float indefinitely on 
water. 
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‘‘(3) 
EXTENDED-RANGE
OPERATIONS.—The 
term ‘extended-range operations’ means commercial 
aircraft operations in compliance with the Federal 
Aviation 
Administration’s 
extended 
operations 
(ETOPs) of multiengine airplanes rule (RIN 2120– 
A103) permitting multiengine, aircraft described in 
parts 121 and 135 of title 14, Code of Federal Reg-
ulations, to fly up to 240 minutes of single-engine 
flying time from an adequate airport.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis for 
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘44729. Installation of additional flight recorders.’’. 
SEC. 4. PURCHASE OF DEPLOYABLE RECORDER SYSTEMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transportation 
shall reimburse an air carrier (as defined in section 40102 
of title 49, United States Code) for the costs of purchasing 
and installing deployable recorder systems, including engi-
neering, certification, equipment, and installation costs, in 
order for the air carrier to comply with the regulations 
issued under section 44729 of such title. 
(b) REASONABLE AMOUNT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Transportation shall issue regulations that set forth what 
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constitutes a reasonable amount for reimbursement under 
subsection (a). 
Æ 
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