Committee narrows DOT information-sharing request on helicopter and air-tour safety after federal preemption concerns

The House Committee on Transportation on April 10 amended and passed SCR 180 SD1 to clarify that the Department of Transportation is requested to share information specifically on helicopter and air tours, not all commercial tour operators.

The amendment followed testimony from Department of Transportation staff saying the agency is building a public dashboard but does not have jurisdiction to regulate tour operators because oversight of aviation operations falls under the Federal Aviation Administration.

Why it matters: The measure and the committee amendment focus on improving public access to safety and performance information for helicopter and air tours, a subject raised after several fatal crashes in the state were cited during testimony.

What was said

Rich Mazar, testifying for Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, urged the committee to support the resolution and cited crash counts when explaining the public-safety rationale: “There was a crash in 2019; four people died in Kailua. There was another crash in Kauai in the same year; seven people died there. So 40 people have died since 2000 and that number should be 0,” Mazar said.

A Department of Transportation deputy director (named in committee testimony) told the committee DOT is developing a public dashboard to collect and publish relevant information but said the agency “technically has no jurisdiction over this” and noted federal preemption by the FAA when opposing broader regulatory language. The deputy director said enforcement is the key and that DOT is working with industry on safety initiatives but cannot support passing a law that would conflict with FAA oversight.

Committee action and amendment

Committee members adopted an amendment clarifying page 3, line 27 of SCR 180 SD1 so DOT’s information-sharing request is limited to helicopter and air tours. The committee then adopted the chair’s recommendation to pass the resolution with that amendment.

Clarifying details and source material

- Testimony cited two specific 2019 crashes (Kailua and Kauai) and an asserted total of 40 statewide deaths since 2000; those casualty counts were presented by industry testimony and should be independently verified. - DOT said it is building a public dashboard to collect information relevant to tours but indicated that providing or acting on the information is constrained by federal FAA oversight.

What happens next

With the committee’s amendment, SCR 180 SD1 moves forward in the legislative process as a request for DOT to share information about helicopter and air tours; any further steps that affect operator regulation would be constrained by federal aviation rules and require coordination with federal authorities.