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FAA Proposed New Rules For Helicopter Operators And Air Ambulances |
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October 7, 2010 -
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) today proposed broad new rules for helicopter operators, including
air ambulances, which, if finalized, would require stricter flight rules
and procedures, improved communications and training, and additional
on-board safety equipment.
“This is a
significant proposal that will improve the safety of many helicopter
flights in the |
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Under the proposed
rules, operators would use the latest on-board technology and equipment
to avoid terrain and obstacles. The proposal also contains provisions
which, if finalized, would require operators to use enhanced procedures
for flying in challenging weather, at night, and when landing in remote
locations. The FAA document includes new proposals covering a variety of
helicopter operators.
“We can prevent
accidents by preparing pilots and equipping helicopters for all of the
unique flying conditions they encounter,” said FAA Administrator Randy
Babbitt. “These new rules are designed to protect passengers, patients,
medical personnel, and pilots.”
The proposed rules
would require air ambulance operators to:
* Equip with
Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS).
* The proposal
seeks comments on requirements for light-weight aircraft recording
systems (LARS).
* Conduct
operations under Part 135, including flight crew time limitation and
rest requirements, when medical personnel are on board.
* Establish
operations control centers if they are certificate holders with 10 or
more helicopter air ambulances. * Institute pre-flight risk-analysis programs. |
* Conduct safety
briefings for medical personnel.
* Amend their
operational requirements to include Visual Flight Rules (VFR) weather
minimums, Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations at airports/heliports
without weather reporting, procedures for VFR approaches, and VFR flight
planning.
* Ensure their
pilots in command hold an instrument rating.
Under the
proposal, all commercial helicopter operators would be required to:
* Revise IFR
alternate airport weather minimums.
* Demonstrate
competency in recovery from inadvertent instrument meteorological
conditions.
* Equip their
helicopters with radio altimeters.
* Change the
definition of “extended over-water operation” and require additional
equipment for these operations.
The proposed rules
would require all Part 135 aircraft, i.e. helicopter and fixed wing
on-demand operators, to:
* Prepare a load
manifest.
* Transmit a copy
of load manifest documentation to their base of operations, in lieu of
preparing a duplicate copy.
* Specify
requirements for retaining a copy of the load manifest in the event that
the documentation is destroyed in an aircraft accident.
In addition, the
proposal would require Part 91 general aviation helicopter operators to
revise the VFR weather minimums.
Since August 2004,
the FAA has promoted initiatives to reduce risk for helicopter air
ambulance operations. While accidents did decline in 2005 and 2006, 2008
proved to be the deadliest year on record with six accidents that
claimed 24 lives. Overall, from 1992 through 2009, 135 helicopter air
ambulance accidents claimed 126 lives. From 1994 through 2008, there
were also 75 commercial helicopter accidents (excluding air ambulances)
that resulted in 88 fatalities.
The estimated cost
of the proposal in present value for the air ambulance industry is $136
million with a total benefit of $160 million over 10 years. The cost for
other commercial operators is $89 million with a total benefit of $115
million over 10 years. |
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