14 CFR Part 120 - DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING PROGRAM

The FAA is delaying the effective date of the Helicopter Air Ambulance, Commercial Helicopter, and Part 91 Helicopter Operations final rule published on February 21, 2014. In that rule, the FAA amended its regulations to revise the helicopter air ambulance, commercial helicopter, and general aviation helicopter operating requirements. The April 22, 2014 effective date does not provide an adequate amount of time for the affected certificate holders to implement the new requirements. By extending the effective date to April 22, 2015, the affected certificate holders will have sufficient time to implement the new requirements. This action will only affect the effective date of the provisions of the rule scheduled to take effect April 22, 2014. Other provisions in the rule with specified compliance dates will not be affected.

The FAA is considering amending its drug and alcohol testing regulations to require drug and alcohol testing of certain maintenance personnel outside the United States. Specifically, the FAA is considering requiring certain air carriers to ensure that all employees of certificated repair stations, and certain other maintenance organizations that are located outside the United States, who perform safety-sensitive maintenance functions on aircraft operated by that air carrier are subject to a drug and alcohol testing program that has been determined acceptable by the FAA Administrator and is consistent with the applicable laws of the country in which the repair station is located. Safety-sensitive maintenance functions include aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance duties. This action is necessary to address a statutory mandate. The FAA has determined that it needs additional information to develop a proposed rule and assess its likely economic impact. This notice invites comments on a variety of issues related to proposing drug and alcohol testing requirements for the relevant employees of covered maintenance providers.

This final rule addresses helicopter air ambulance, commercial helicopter, and general aviation helicopter operations. To address an increase in fatal helicopter air ambulance accidents, the FAA is implementing new operational procedures and additional equipment requirements for helicopter air ambulance operations. This final rule also increases safety for commercial helicopter operations by revising requirements for equipment, pilot testing, and alternate airports. It increases weather minimums for all general aviation helicopter operations. Many of these requirements address National Transportation Safety Board safety recommendations, and are already found in FAA guidance. Today's changes are intended to provide certificate holders and pilots with additional tools and procedures that will aid in preventing accidents.

This rulemaking allows air carrier operators and commuter or on-demand operators that also conduct commercial air tour operations to combine the drug and alcohol testing required for each operation into one testing program. The current rule requires those operators to conduct separate testing programs for their commercial air tour operations. This results in an unnecessary duplication of effort. The intended effect of this rulemaking is to decrease operating costs by eliminating the requirement for duplicate programs while maintaining the level of safety intended by existing rules. This final rule also clarifies existing instructions within the rule, corrects a typographical error, and removes language describing a practice that has been discontinued.

This rulemaking would allow air carrier operators and commuter or on-demand operators that also conduct commercial air tour operations to combine the drug and alcohol testing required for each operation into one testing program. The current rule requires those operators to conduct separate testing programs for their air tour operations. This results in an unnecessary duplication of effort. The intended effect of this rulemaking is to decrease operating costs by eliminating the requirement for duplicate programs while maintaining the level of safety intended by the current drug and alcohol testing regulations. This proposal would also clarify existing instructions within the rule, correct an inadvertent typographical error, clarify an existing requirement by rearranging its numerical order, and remove language that describes a practice that has been discontinued.