§1486.2. State participation in and promotion of transportation of oil and gas workers over water

A. The director of aviation ("DA") of the aviation section of the Department of Transportation and Development ("DOTD") shall request membership to the Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference ("HSAC"), attend regularly scheduled meetings of HSAC for the purpose of education, understanding, and dissemination of information developed for the purpose of the promotion of safety through cooperation, and encourage all operators who provide over water flight services to the oil and gas industry to adopt and incorporate the recommended practices of HSAC into their daily operations.

B. The DA or his designated representative may attend and secure all writings in the form of recommended practices that result from HSAC conferences that relate to safe over water helicopter operations, and disseminate such writings in such a way that over water flight service providers in the state or adjacent to its shores are made aware of its content.

C. Among considerations for helicopter safety in over water flight services in the oil and gas industry, the DA or his designated representative may identify, evaluate, and maintain current knowledge of available feasible technology for all of the following:

(1) Personal locator beacons ("PLBs") capable of transmitting a digital coded distress signal and a permanent homing signal suitable for use in over water flight services utilized in the oil and gas industry.

(2) Incorporation into the daily operations of all Part 91, Part 133 and Part 135 operators, a system for satellite tracking of helicopters conducting over water flights, including maintaining a command center to monitor the status of such flights.

(3) Improvement of flight safety over water services by adoption of emerging advances in aviation. The DA or his designated representative shall also promote enhancements of required pre-flight briefings that maximize passenger awareness of passenger safety, and emergency procedures. Where appropriate, the DA shall provide information and recommendations to HSAC for consideration of recommended practices for industry use of such systems and devices.

D. The DA or his designated representative shall maintain familiarity with all Part 91, Part 133 and Part 135 regulations promulgated by the FAA pertaining to over water helicopter operations, and may obtain and review all advisory circulars of the FAA that relate to such over water helicopter operations in the state or adjacent to its shores, issued under those parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations ("FAR"). Where appropriate, the DA or his designated representative shall promote the adherence to the regulations and adoption of the HSAC recommended practices.

E. The DA shall facilitate, as he deems necessary, information to the director of operations of operators who provide over water flight services in the state or adjacent to its shores, through publication on the Internet through an identifiable link on the DOTD website, summaries or text of relevant new FAR and Advisory Circulars published by the FAA or Recommended Practices published by HSAC.

F.(1) The DA shall publish a report to the legislature, directed to the chairs of the House and Senate committees on transportation, highways and public works, wherein the DA shall summarize and comment upon all of the following:

(a) The previous year's developments in safe practices for operators who provide over water flight services in the state or adjacent to its shores, as such safe practices have evolved over the previous twelve months, through the federal and industry organizations referenced in this Part.

(b) Efforts made by the DA to ensure knowledge of all such practices by operators within the industry.

(2) The report shall be delivered to the committees no later than the first of September, annually. A copy of the report shall also be sent to the director of operations of each helicopter operator known by the DA to be engaged in providing over water flight services in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Acts 2010, No. 572, §1, eff. June 25, 2010; Acts 2011, No. 147, §1, eff. June 24, 2011.