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HR 2912 IH

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to finalize the proposed rule relating to the reduction of fuel tank flammability exposure, and for other purposes.

June 28, 2007

Mr. BISHOP of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

To require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to finalize the proposed rule relating to the reduction of fuel tank flammability exposure, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Transport Aircraft Fuel Tank Safety Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The Federal Aviation Administration has achieved little progress toward limiting transport category aircraft deaths resulting from center wing fuel tank explosions, including the crash of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 off the coast of East Moriches, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York on July 17, 1996 (the single largest loss of life as a result of a preventable center wing fuel tank explosion in a transport category aircraft).

(2) Over the course of the past 15 years, 3 separate fatal transport category aircraft accidents resulting in the loss of 346 lives were the result of preventable fuel tank explosions.

(3) Center wing fuel tank explosions of transport category aircraft remain a concern and have the potential to cause flight disasters.

(4) The National Transportation Safety Board, pursuant to its recommendations A-96-174 and A-96-175, explicitly affirms that the elimination of center wing fuel tank explosions is a primary objective of aviation safety and that, when considering safety changes, the Federal Aviation Administration should give significant consideration to fuel tank inerting systems.

(5) The Federal Goverment has enacted aviation safety measures in response to the tragedy of Trans World Airlines Flight 800 and recognized the hardship confronted by family members of the passenger victims who were killed as a result of the crash.

(6) There is a need to address and resolve the risk to airline passengers due to the vulnerability of aircraft center wing fuel tanks to explosion.

SEC. 2. IMPLEMENTATION OF FAA RULE RELATING TO FUEL TANK FLAMMABILITY.

(a) In General- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, not later than January 1, 2008, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall finalize and implement the rule proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration relating to the reduction of fuel tank flammability in transport category airplanes (70 Fed. Reg. 70922, dated November 23, 2005) and shall take such action as may be necessary to ensure that operators and manufacturers of airplanes will take appropriate action to comply with the rule.

(b) Study and Report- Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall conduct a study and report to Congress regarding ways to improve the safety and reduce the flammability of fuel tanks that are located on the wings of airplanes.