49 U.S.C. § 44731 (TRANSPORTATION)
§ 44731. Collection of data on helicopter air ambulance operations
(a) In General.—
The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall require a part 135 certificate holder providing helicopter air ambulance services to submit to the Administrator, annually, a report containing, at a minimum, the following data:
(1) The number of helicopters that the certificate holder uses to provide helicopter air ambulance services and the base locations of the helicopters.
(2) The number of hours flown by the helicopters operated by the certificate holder.
(3) The number of patients transported and the number of patient transport requests for a helicopter providing air ambulance services that were accepted or declined by the certificate holder and the type of each such flight request (such as scene response, interfacility transport, or organ transport).
(4) The number of accidents, if any, involving helicopters operated by the certificate holder while providing air ambulance services and a description of the accidents.
(5) The number of hours flown under instrument flight rules by helicopters operated by the certificate holder.
(6) The number of hours flown at night by helicopters operated by the certificate holder.
(7) The number of incidents, if any, in which a helicopter was not directly dispatched and arrived to transport patients but was not utilized for patient transport.
(b) Reporting Period.—
Data contained in a report submitted by a part 135 certificate holder under subsection (a) shall relate to such reporting period as the Administrator determines appropriate.
(c) Database.—
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator shall develop a method to collect and store the data collected under subsection (a), including a method to protect the confidentiality of any trade secret or proprietary information provided in response to this section.
(d) Implementation.—
In carrying out this section, the Administrator, in collaboration with part 135 certificate holders providing helicopter air ambulance services, shall—
(1) propose and develop a method to collect and store the data submitted under subsection (a), including a method to protect the confidentiality of any trade secret or proprietary information submitted;
(2) make publicly available, in part or in whole, on a website of the Federal Aviation Administration, the database developed pursuant to subsection (c); and
(3) analyze the data submitted under subsection (a) periodically and use such data to inform efforts to improve the safety of helicopter air ambulance operations.
(e) Definitions.—
In this section, the terms “part 135” and “part 135 certificate holder” have the meanings given such terms in section 44730.
(Added Pub. L. 112–95, title III, § 306(a), Feb. 14, 2012, 126 Stat. 60; amended Pub. L. 115–254, div. B, title III, § 314(d), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3266; Pub. L. 118–63, title III, § 301(c), May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1066.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: The date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (c), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 112–95, which was approved Feb. 14, 2012.
heading: Amendments
text: 2024—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 118–63, § 301(c)(1), (3), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d) and struck out former subsec. (d). Prior to amendment text of subsec. (d) read as follows: “The Administrator shall submit annually to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing a summary of the data collected under subsection (a). The report shall include the number of accidents experienced by helicopter air ambulance operations, the number of fatal accidents experienced by helicopter air ambulance operations, and the rate, per 100,000 flight hours, of accidents and fatal accidents experienced by operators providing helicopter air ambulance services.”
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 118–63, § 301(c)(3), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d).
Subsec. (e)(2), (3). Pub. L. 118–63, § 301(c)(2), added pars. (2) and (3) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “ensure that the database under subsection (c) and the report under subsection (d) include data and analysis that will best inform efforts to improve the safety of helicopter air ambulance operations.”
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 118–63, § 301(c)(3), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e).
2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(1)(A), substituted “annually” for “not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(1)(B), substituted “hours flown by the helicopters operated by the certificate holder” for “flights and hours flown, by registration number, during which helicopters operated by the certificate holder were providing helicopter air ambulance services”.
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(1)(C), substituted “of patients transported and the number of patient transport” for “of flight”, inserted “or” after “interfacility transport,”, and struck out “, or ferry or repositioning flight” after “organ transport”.
Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(1)(D), struck out “flights and” after “The number of” and “while providing air ambulance services” before period at end.
Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(1)(E), amended par. (6) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (6) read as follows: “The time of day of each flight flown by helicopters operated by the certificate holder while providing air ambulance services.”
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(2), substituted “The Administrator shall submit annually” for “Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit” and inserted at end “The report shall include the number of accidents experienced by helicopter air ambulance operations, the number of fatal accidents experienced by helicopter air ambulance operations, and the rate, per 100,000 flight hours, of accidents and fatal accidents experienced by operators providing helicopter air ambulance services.”
Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 115–254, § 314(d)(3), (4), added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Helicopter Air Ambulance Operations Data and Reports
text: Pub. L. 115–254, div. B, title III, § 314(a)–(c), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3265, 3266, provided that:
“(a) In General.—
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 2018], the Administrator [of the Federal Aviation Administration], in collaboration with helicopter air ambulance industry stakeholders, shall assess the availability of information to the general public related to the location of heliports and helipads used by helicopters providing air ambulance services, including helipads and helipads outside of those listed as part of any existing databases of Airport Master Record (5010) forms.
“(b) Requirements.—
Based on the assessment under subsection (a), the Administrator shall—
“(1) update, as necessary, any existing guidance on what information is included in the current databases of Airport Master Record (5010) forms to include information related to heliports and helipads used by helicopters providing air ambulance services; or
“(2) develop, as appropriate and in collaboration with helicopter air ambulance industry stakeholders, a new database of heliports and helipads used by helicopters providing air ambulance services.
“(c) Reports.—
“(1) Assessment report.—
Not later than 30 days after the date the assessment under subsection (a) is complete, the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress [Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives] a report on the assessment, including any recommendations on how to make information related to the location of heliports and helipads used by helicopters providing air ambulance services available to the general public.
“(2) Implementation report.—
Not later than 30 days after completing action under paragraph (1) or paragraph (2) of subsection (b), the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on such action.”