[Federal Register: October 14, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 198)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 59098-59099]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr14oc03-6]
[[Page 59098]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. NM259; Special Condition No. 25-249-SC]
Special Conditions: Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10; Side-
Facing Single Occupancy Seats
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Bombardier
Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10 airplane. This airplane as modified by
Learjet Inc. (Subsidiary of Bombardier Aerospace) will have novel or
unusual design features associated with side-facing single-occupant
seats. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate
or appropriate safety standards for these design features. These
special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the
Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety
equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 6, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Thompson, FAA, Airframe/Cabin
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington, 98055-
4056; telephone (425) 227-1157; facsimile (425) 227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On April 11, 2003, Learjet Inc. (subsidiary of Bombardier
Aerospace) applied for a supplemental type certificate for installation
of single-occupant side-facing seats on Bombardier BD-100-1A10
airplanes. Bombardier Aerospace requested that special conditions be
issued for these seats and that the special conditions be listed on the
type certificate data sheet of the BD-100-1A10 airplane. The Model BD-
100-1A10 is a twin engine, turbofan powered, transport category
airplane which is currently the subject of a type certification
program.
Section 25.785(a) at Amendment 25-64 requires that each seat ``at
each station designated as occupiable during takeoff and landing must
be designed so that persons occupying these seats will not suffer
serious injury in an emergency landing as a result of the inertia
forces specified in Sec. Sec. 25.561 and 25.562.'' Additionally, Sec.
25.562 requires dynamic testing of all seats that are occupied during
takeoff and landing. However, side-facing seats are considered a novel
design for transport category airplanes that include Amendment 25-64 in
the certification basis and were not considered when those
airworthiness standards were promulgated. Hence, the existing
regulations do not provide adequate or appropriate safety standards for
occupants of side-facing seats. In order to provide a level of safety
that is equivalent to that afforded occupants of forward and aft facing
seats, additional airworthiness standards in the form of special
conditions are necessary.
These special conditions are applicable only to single-occupant
side-facing seats. They are not sufficient or intended to be used for
the certification of multiple-occupant side-facing divans or sofas.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of Sec. 21.101, Learjet Inc. (subsidiary of
Bombardier Aerospace) must show that the Model BD-100-1A10 airplane, as
changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations
incorporated by reference in T00005NY or the applicable regulations in
effect on the date of application for the change. The regulations
incorporated by reference in the type certificate are commonly referred
to as the ``original type certification basis.'' The regulations
incorporated by reference in T00005NY are as follows:
14 CFR part 25, effective February 1, 1965, as amended by
Amendments 25-1 through 25-98; 14 CFR part 34, effective September 10,
1990.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-100-
1A10 because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions
are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10 must comply with
the fuel vent and exhaust emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and
the noise certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36.
Special conditions, as defined in Sec. 11.19, are issued in
accordance with Sec. 11.38 and become part of the type certification
basis in accordance with Sec. 21.101.
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or
unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the
other model.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
Bombardier Aerospace will install single-occupant side-facing seats
on BD-100-1A10 airplanes. Section 25.785(b) requires that each seat
``at each station designated as occupiable during takeoff and landing
must be designed so that persons occupying these seats will not suffer
serious injury in an emergency landing as a result of the inertia
forces specified in Sec. Sec. 25.561 and 25.562.'' Additionally, Sec.
25.562 requires dynamic testing of all seats that are occupied during
takeoff and landing. However, side-facing seats are considered a novel
design for transport category airplanes that include Amendment 25-64 in
the certification basis, and were not considered when those
airworthiness standards were promulgated. Hence, the existing
regulations do not provide adequate or appropriate safety standards for
occupants of side-facing seats. In order to provide a level of safety
that is equivalent to that afforded occupants of forward and aft facing
seats, additional airworthiness standards, in the form of special
conditions, are necessary.
Discussion
The following special conditions are considered to provide
occupants of single-occupancy side-facing seats a level of safety that
is equivalent to that afforded occupants of forward and aft facing
seats. These special conditions supplement 14 CFR part 25 and, more
specifically, they supplement Sec. Sec. 25.785 and 25.562.
Comments
Notice of proposed special conditions No. 25-03-06-SC for the
Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10 airplane was published in the
Federal Register on August 26, 2003 (68 FR 51203). No comments were
received, and these special conditions are adopted as proposed.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10 airplane. Should Bombardier
Aerospace apply at a later date for a change to the type certificate to
include another model incorporating the same novel or unusual design
feature, the special conditions would apply to that model as well.
[[Page 59099]]
Under standard practice, the effective date of final special
conditions would be 30 days after the date of publication in the
Federal Register; however, as the certification date for the Bombardier
Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10 airplane is imminent, the FAA finds that
good cause exists to make these special conditions effective upon
issuance.
Conclusion
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features
on one model of airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability,
and it affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval
of these features on the airplane.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
0
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.
The Special Conditions
0
Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues the
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis
for Bombardier Aerospace Model BD-100-1A10 airplanes. In addition to
the airworthiness standards of Sec. Sec. 25.562 and 25.785, the
minimum acceptable standards for dynamic certification of Model BD-100-
1A10 single-occupant side-facing seats are proposed as follows:
Injury Criteria
(a) Existing Criteria: All injury protection criteria of Sec.
25.562(c)(1) through (c)(6) apply to the occupant of a side-facing
seat. Head Injury Criterion (HIC) assessments are required only for
head contact with the seat and/or adjacent structures.
(b) Body-to-Wall/Furnishing Contact: The seat must be installed aft
of a structure, such as an interior wall or furnishing, that will
support the pelvis, upper arm, chest, and head of an occupant seated
next to the structure. A conservative representation of the structure
and its stiffness must be included in the tests. It is recommended, but
not required, that the contact surface of this structure be covered
with at least two inches of energy absorbing protective padding (foam
or equivalent), such as Ensolite.
(c) Thoracic Trauma: The Thoracic Trauma Index (TTI) injury
criterion must be substantiated by dynamic test or by rational
analysis, based on a previous test or tests of a similar seat
installation. Testing must be conducted with a Side Impact Dummy (SID),
as defined by 49 CFR part 572, subpart F, or its equivalent. TTI must
be less than 85, as defined in 49 CFR part 572, subpart F. TTI data
must be processed as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) Part 571.214, section S6.13.5.
(d) Pelvis: Pelvic lateral acceleration must be shown by dynamic
test or by rational analysis based on previous test(s) of a similar
seat installation to not exceed 130g. Pelvic acceleration data must be
processed as defined in FMVSS Part 571.214, section S6.13.5.
(e) Shoulder Strap Loads: Where upper torso straps (shoulder
straps) are used for occupants, tension loads in individual straps must
not exceed 1,750 pounds. If dual straps are used for restraining the
upper torso, the total strap tension loads must not exceed 2,000
pounds.
Test Requirements
The above performance measures must not be exceeded during the
following dynamic tests:
(a) Conduct a longitudinal test per Sec. 25.562(b)(2) with a SID,
undeformed floor, no yaw, and with all lateral structural supports
(armrests/walls).
Pass/fail injury assessments: TTI and pelvic acceleration.
(b) Conduct a longitudinal test per Sec. 25.562(b)(2) with the
Hybrid II ATD, deformed floor, 10 degrees yaw, and with all lateral
structural supports (armrests/walls).
Pass/fail injury assessments: HIC, upper torso restraint load,
restraint system retention and pelvic acceleration.
(c) Conduct a downward vertical test per Sec. 25.562(b)(1) with a
modified Hybrid II ATD with existing pass/fail criteria.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 6, 2003.
Ali Bahrami,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-25951 Filed 10-10-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P