Regulation Text
(a) When the Administrator has determined, pursuant to a request and justification provided by the Governor of the State of Hawaii, or the Governor's designee, that an inhabited area within a declared national disaster area in the State of Hawaii is in need of protection for humanitarian reasons, the Administrator will issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) designating an area within which temporary flight restrictions apply. The Administrator will designate the extent and duration of the temporary flight restrictions necessary to provide for the protection of persons and property on the surface.
(b) When a NOTAM has been issued in accordance with this section, no person may operate an aircraft within the designated area unless at least one of the following conditions is met:
(1) That person has obtained authorization from the official in charge of associated emergency or disaster relief response activities, and is operating the aircraft under the conditions of that authorization.
(2) The aircraft is carrying law enforcement officials.
(3) The aircraft is carrying persons involved in an emergency or a legitimate scientific purpose.
(4) The aircraft is carrying properly accredited newspersons, and that prior to entering the area, a flight plan is filed with the appropriate FAA or ATC facility specified in the NOTAM and the operation is conducted in compliance with the conditions and restrictions established by the official in charge of on-scene emergency response activities.
(5) The aircraft is operating in accordance with an ATC clearance or instruction.
(c) A NOTAM issued under this section is effective for 90 days or until the national disaster area designation is terminated, whichever comes first, unless terminated by notice or extended by the Administrator at the request of the Governor of the State of Hawaii or the Governor's designee.
[Docket 26476, 56 FR 23178, May 20, 1991, as amended by Amdt. 91-270, 66 FR 47377, Sept. 11, 2001]
Research Notes
Section 91.138 — Temporary flight restrictions in national disaster areas in the State of Hawaii — provides specific TFR authority for disaster response operations in Hawaii.
What this addresses: Hawaii's geographic isolation and the limited airspace infrastructure required a specific rule for disaster-area TFRs. The reg authorizes the FAA to impose temporary restrictions over disaster areas (volcano eruptions, tsunamis, hurricanes, brush fires).
Operational scope: The Hawaii disaster TFR framework operates similarly to the general § 91.137 disaster TFR but with provisions specific to the island operating environment — coordination with Hawaii Department of Transportation Aviation Division, specific routings around active disaster zones, and integration with USCG search-and-rescue operations.
Reference: FAA Honolulu CERAP and Hawaii FSDO operational guidance.
Amendment History
Amendment History Coming Soon
Every time this regulation changes, we'll record it here — the date, what was amended, and a plain-English summary of what shifted.