THE SENATE S.R. NO. 150 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D. 1 STATE OF HAWAII SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO share information on the safety and performance of commercial tour operators to help residents and visitors make informed decisions.
THE SENATE S.R. NO. 150
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
THE SENATE
S.R. NO.
150
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO share information on the safety and performance of commercial tour operators to help residents and visitors make informed decisions.
WHEREAS, general aviation and commercial helicopter flights are sometimes used by local residents and businesses for commercial purposes, and are popular activities tourists throughout Hawaii; and WHEREAS, numerous general aviation and tour operators provide commercial air tour flights throughout the islands, including numerous companies often operating on a single island; and WHEREAS, not all tour operators employ the same levels of safety precautions and best practices when flying customers, or maintain their helicopters and vehicles with the same degree of care, which have been contributing factors in fatal crashes; and WHEREAS, pilots at some companies have reported being pressured to continue flying at times and in conditions when they felt it was potentially unsafe or inappropriate to fly; and WHEREAS, since 2000, there have been over forty helicopter tour crashes and incidents in Hawaii, resulting in approximately fifty fatalities and nearly as many other serious injuries; and WHEREAS, commercial air tour operators on Kauai recorded the highest number of fatalities with nearly thirty deaths as a result of helicopter crashes; and WHEREAS, general aviation and commercial helicopter flights over residential areas can create safety hazards, such as the 2019 crash of a tour helicopter on a street in Kailua, Oahu that resulted in three deaths, and could have killed dozens more had it struck a busy area; and WHEREAS, the risk of crashes, fatalities, and injuries to helicopter and tour pilots and customers is significantly increased in the absence of currently available safety mechanisms, devices, and best practices; and WHEREAS, following the 2019 crash in Kailua, the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that "each crash underscores the urgency of improving the safety of charter flights by implementing existing [board] safety recommendations," and called for small aircraft flight safety improvements; and WHEREAS, NTSB has made repeated recommendations for safety enhancements in the helicopter tour and charter industry, including the use of crash-resistant fuel systems, flotation devices for flights over water, and terrain awareness and warning systems to reduce the risk of controlled flight into terrain; and WHEREAS, the implementation of safety measures such as crash-resistant fuel tanks can significantly reduce the risk of post-crash fires, a factor that has contributed to fatalities in multiple aviation crashes; and WHEREAS, helicopters operating in the State frequently fly over the ocean and remote terrain where emergency landings may be required, and the presence of emergency flotation devices are a critical factor in survivability in the event of an unplanned water landing; and WHEREAS, radar and terrain awareness technology have proven effective in enhancing pilot situational awareness and reducing the likelihood of accidents caused by poor visibility, weather conditions, or pilot disorientation; and WHEREAS, many companies currently hold minimal insurance policies that may not be sufficient to cover injuries or worse in the event of a crash; and WHEREAS, ensuring public access to safety-related information regarding the presence or absence of flotation devices, radar technology, and crash-resistant fuel tanks in helicopters used for commercial and general aviation flights, as well as applicable levels of insurance coverage would empower consumers and the public to make better informed decisions regarding their safety and help save lives; and WHEREAS, increased transparency in the aviation industry would encourage helicopter tour operators and charter companies to adopt best practices in aviation safety, thereby reducing risks to passengers, crew, and the public at large; and WHEREAS, providing detailed safety information aligns with broader efforts to enhance consumer protections and uphold the State's commitment to safeguarding its residents and visitors from avoidable risks; and WHEREAS, providing residents and visitors with safety and performance related information will enable them to make informed decisions; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Transportation is requested to share information on the safety and performance of commercial tour operators to help residents and visitors make informed decisions; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to solicit information no less than annually from commercial air tour operators on whether their helicopters are equipped with, and what percentage of their helicopters are equipped with: (1) Crash resistant fuel systems; (2) Flotation devices in the event of a water landing; (3) Terrain awareness and warning systems; and (4) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to solicit information from commercial air tour operators on whether their companies are operating with best practices including information regarding: (1) Minimum pilot hours required to fly commercial passengers; and (2) The amount of insurance coverage provided to cover personal injury and loss for each customer in the event of harm; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify and share with the public the numbers of legitimate complaints about safety, noise, or operations received by the Department of Transportation or any other appropriate departments or agencies about each commercial air tour operator operating in the State, and any other relevant safety or operational information as may be appropriate; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify and share with the public the numbers of legitimate safety-related incidents experienced by each commercial air tour operator over the preceding twenty-four months; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to collaborate with the NTSB to identify and develop any other safety criteria that may be appropriate to be shared with the public; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to establish a system of scoring and transparency for these collected criteria to provide the public with information in a format easy to visualize and understand, that enables a resident or visitor to know whether or not a commercial air tour company has incorporated the particular criteria, and what threshold or amount of criteria that company has incorporated, where appropriate; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED in establishing the system of scoring and transparency, that the Department of Transportation is requested to also assign an easy to understand overall score or letter grade for each commercial air tour operator that clearly distinguishes those commercial air tour operators that employ more or higher levels of safety and other relevant criteria than those that do no; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify the very highest scoring commercial air tour operator each year and recognize and categorize that commercial air tour operator as the "Safest Commercial Air Tour Operator" and categorize commercial air tour operators who did not provide a response with safety information as "Safety Unknown"; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to provide this information to the public in an online place and format that is easy and simple to find and understand, and keep it updated; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to share this information with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, who is requested to also provide this information to visitors in an online format that is easy and simple to find and understand, and keep it updated; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit an annual report to the Legislature summarizing specific safety-related information for each general aviation and commercial tour operator in the State and post an electronic copy of each report on the Department of Transportation's website; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the National Transportation Safety Board, Director of Transportation, and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Report Title: DOT; Aviation Safety; Reports
WHEREAS, general aviation and commercial helicopter flights are sometimes used by local residents and businesses for commercial purposes, and are popular activities tourists throughout Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, numerous general aviation and tour operators provide commercial air tour flights throughout the islands, including numerous companies often operating on a single island; and
WHEREAS, not all tour operators employ the same levels of safety precautions and best practices when flying customers, or maintain their helicopters and vehicles with the same degree of care, which have been contributing factors in fatal crashes; and
WHEREAS, pilots at some companies have reported being pressured to continue flying at times and in conditions when they felt it was potentially unsafe or inappropriate to fly; and
WHEREAS, since 2000, there have been over forty helicopter tour crashes and incidents in Hawaii, resulting in approximately fifty fatalities and nearly as many other serious injuries; and
WHEREAS, commercial air tour operators on Kauai recorded the highest number of fatalities with nearly thirty deaths as a result of helicopter crashes; and
WHEREAS, general aviation and commercial helicopter flights over residential areas can create safety hazards, such as the 2019 crash of a tour helicopter on a street in Kailua, Oahu that resulted in three deaths, and could have killed dozens more had it struck a busy area; and
WHEREAS, the risk of crashes, fatalities, and injuries to helicopter and tour pilots and customers is significantly increased in the absence of currently available safety mechanisms, devices, and best practices; and
WHEREAS, following the 2019 crash in Kailua, the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that "each crash underscores the urgency of improving the safety of charter flights by implementing existing [board] safety recommendations," and called for small aircraft flight safety improvements; and
WHEREAS, NTSB has made repeated recommendations for safety enhancements in the helicopter tour and charter industry, including the use of crash-resistant fuel systems, flotation devices for flights over water, and terrain awareness and warning systems to reduce the risk of controlled flight into terrain; and
WHEREAS, the implementation of safety measures such as crash-resistant fuel tanks can significantly reduce the risk of post-crash fires, a factor that has contributed to fatalities in multiple aviation crashes; and
WHEREAS, helicopters operating in the State frequently fly over the ocean and remote terrain where emergency landings may be required, and the presence of emergency flotation devices are a critical factor in survivability in the event of an unplanned water landing; and
WHEREAS, radar and terrain awareness technology have proven effective in enhancing pilot situational awareness and reducing the likelihood of accidents caused by poor visibility, weather conditions, or pilot disorientation; and
WHEREAS, many companies currently hold minimal insurance policies that may not be sufficient to cover injuries or worse in the event of a crash; and
WHEREAS, ensuring public access to safety-related information regarding the presence or absence of flotation devices, radar technology, and crash-resistant fuel tanks in helicopters used for commercial and general aviation flights, as well as applicable levels of insurance coverage would empower consumers and the public to make better informed decisions regarding their safety and help save lives; and
WHEREAS, increased transparency in the aviation industry would encourage helicopter tour operators and charter companies to adopt best practices in aviation safety, thereby reducing risks to passengers, crew, and the public at large; and
WHEREAS, providing detailed safety information aligns with broader efforts to enhance consumer protections and uphold the State's commitment to safeguarding its residents and visitors from avoidable risks; and
WHEREAS, providing residents and visitors with safety and performance related information will enable them to make informed decisions; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Transportation is requested to share information on the safety and performance of commercial tour operators to help residents and visitors make informed decisions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to solicit information no less than annually from commercial air tour operators on whether their helicopters are equipped with, and what percentage of their helicopters are equipped with:
(1) Crash resistant fuel systems;
(2) Flotation devices in the event of a water landing;
(3) Terrain awareness and warning systems; and
(4) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast technology; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to solicit information from commercial air tour operators on whether their companies are operating with best practices including information regarding:
(1) Minimum pilot hours required to fly commercial passengers; and
(2) The amount of insurance coverage provided to cover personal injury and loss for each customer in the event of harm; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify and share with the public the numbers of legitimate complaints about safety, noise, or operations received by the Department of Transportation or any other appropriate departments or agencies about each commercial air tour operator operating in the State, and any other relevant safety or operational information as may be appropriate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify and share with the public the numbers of legitimate safety-related incidents experienced by each commercial air tour operator over the preceding twenty-four months; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to collaborate with the NTSB to identify and develop any other safety criteria that may be appropriate to be shared with the public; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to establish a system of scoring and transparency for these collected criteria to provide the public with information in a format easy to visualize and understand, that enables a resident or visitor to know whether or not a commercial air tour company has incorporated the particular criteria, and what threshold or amount of criteria that company has incorporated, where appropriate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED in establishing the system of scoring and transparency, that the Department of Transportation is requested to also assign an easy to understand overall score or letter grade for each commercial air tour operator that clearly distinguishes those commercial air tour operators that employ more or higher levels of safety and other relevant criteria than those that do no; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to identify the very highest scoring commercial air tour operator each year and recognize and categorize that commercial air tour operator as the "Safest Commercial Air Tour Operator" and categorize commercial air tour operators who did not provide a response with safety information as "Safety Unknown"; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to provide this information to the public in an online place and format that is easy and simple to find and understand, and keep it updated; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to share this information with the Hawaii Tourism Authority, who is requested to also provide this information to visitors in an online format that is easy and simple to find and understand, and keep it updated; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation is requested to submit an annual report to the Legislature summarizing specific safety-related information for each general aviation and commercial tour operator in the State and post an electronic copy of each report on the Department of Transportation's website; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the National Transportation Safety Board, Director of Transportation, and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Report Title:
DOT; Aviation Safety; Reports