[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 166 (Friday, August 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52807-52809]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21333]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Transport Airplane and
Engine Issues--New Task
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of new task assignment for the Aviation Rulemaking
Advisory Committee (ARAC).
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SUMMARY: The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee a
new task to review and submit recommendations in response to the
Federal Aviation Administration's approach to update, reorganize and
improve the level of safety of requirements for flammability of
materials. This notice is to inform the public of this ARAC activity.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Gardlin, Airframe/Cabin Safety
Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Federal Aviation
Administration, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057,
telephone (425) 227-2194, facsimile (425) 227-1149; e-mail
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The FAA established the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee to
provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator on the
FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-related issues.
This includes obtaining advice and recommendations on flammability
requirements for interior materials on transport category airplanes.
The committee will address the task under ARAC's Transport Airplane and
Engine Issues and has established a new Materials Flammability Working
Group to support this task.
The flammability requirements for interior materials on transport
category airplanes have evolved significantly over the years, and have
become more
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threat-based. That is, a realistic test method based on the type of
fire hazard most critical for the components in question. Historically,
these requirements were based on a mix of threat, usage (e.g.,
sidewall), and material type (e.g., elastomeric materials). This has
led to multiple requirements applying to the same component;
conflicting requirements for the same component depending on what
material it is made from; and ambiguous requirements for components not
explicitly listed in Sec. 25.853 or Appendix F, part I. This last
aspect results in the requirements of Sec. 25.853 or Appendix F, part
I, being obsolete whenever materials change or incomplete because
components that have been developed since the regulation and Appendix F
were issued are not specifically identified.
The FAA has drafted an approach that would simplify compliance
demonstrations, and upgrade the level of safety for flammability
throughout the airplane. The objective of the proposed approach is to
completely revisit the flammability requirements and take advantage of
the wealth of data available from FAA research and advances in material
fire safety to provide a simpler regulation that provides a higher
level of safety for transport category airplanes.
This initiative originated in response to a request by aviation
industry organizations who participate in the International Aircraft
Materials Fire Test Working Group. The working group is sponsored by
the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center and is not affiliated with
the ARAC.
The proposed approach would clearly delineate threat-based
requirements, primarily based on a component's function and location in
the airplane. Appendix F to part 25 could be organized based on these
threats, and the current part I, in particular, could be greatly
simplified. In addition, this approach could include new requirements
pertaining to inaccessible areas of the airplane, where in-flight fire
is the greatest risk, by expanding the requirements to include air
ducts and electrical wiring systems, as well as other high volume
materials. This could include Sec. 25.855 for materials in cargo
compartments. The approach would also generalize the requirements for
heat release and smoke emissions to include all exposed large surface
areas in the passenger cabin. This would eliminate the need for special
conditions that are currently required for seats with non-traditional,
large, non-metallic panels.
Because this task could result in a significant change to the type
certification requirements, the FAA is very interested in obtaining
international harmonization. Therefore, the FAA specifically invites
the participation of other regulatory authorities in developing the
responses to the below task.
The Task
The ARAC is asked to consider the merits of the FAA's proposed
approach for a threat-based structure for part 25, Appendix F, and make
recommendations for improvement, classification of the various parts of
Appendix F, and advisory material necessary for implementation.
FAA will provide ARAC with the proposed approach. The ARAC working
group is expected to produce a report within 18 months from publication
of the tasking statement in the Federal Register. The report should
address the following questions for the proposed approach, including
the rationale for the responses.
1. Is the proposed threat-based approach for Sec. 25.853 and
Appendix F, parts II through VII organized correctly?
2. Is Appendix F, part I, necessary for items covered in parts II
through VII?
3. Are there regions of the airplane not currently covered by
flammability requirements that should be?
4. Can the flammability requirements be further simplified while
maintaining or improving the existing level of safety?
5. How should non-metallic structure (e.g., airframe and seats) be
addressed?
6. What advisory material is needed to implement the new structure?
Schedule: Required Completion date is 18 months after the FAA
publishes the task in the Federal Register.
ARAC Acceptance of Task
ARAC accepted the task and assigned the task to the newly formed
Materials Flammability Working Group, Transport Airplane and Engine
Issues. The working group serves as staff to ARAC and assists in the
analysis of assigned tasks. ARAC must review and approve the working
group's recommendations. If ARAC accepts the working group's
recommendations, it will forward them to the FAA.
Working Group Activity
The Materials Flammability Working Group must comply with the
procedures adopted by ARAC. As part of the procedures, the working
group must:
1. Recommend a work plan for completion of the task, including the
rationale supporting such a plan for consideration at the next meeting
of the ARAC on Transport Airplane and Engine Issues held following
publication of this notice.
2. Give a detailed conceptual presentation of the proposed
recommendations prior to proceeding with the work stated in item 3
below.
3. Draft the appropriate documents and required analyses and/or any
other related materials or documents.
4. Provide a status report at each meeting of the ARAC held to
consider Transport Airplane and Engine Issues.
Participation in the Working Group
The Materials Flammability Working Group will be composed of
technical experts having an interest in the assigned task. A working
group member need not be a member, or a representative of a member, of
the full committee.
If you have expertise in the subject matter and wish to become a
member of the working group, write to the person listed under the
caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT expressing that desire.
Describe your interest in the task and state the expertise you would
bring to the working group. We must receive all requests by September
16, 2010. The assistant chair and the assistant executive director will
review the requests and advise you whether or not your request is
approved.
If you are chosen for membership on the working group, you must
represent your aviation community segment and actively participate in
the working group by attending all meetings, and providing written
comments when requested to do so. You must devote the resources
necessary to support the working group in meeting any assigned
deadlines. You must keep your management chain and those you represent
advised of working group activities and decisions to ensure that the
proposed technical solutions don't conflict with your sponsoring
organization's position when the subject being considered is presented
to ARAC for approval. Once the working group has begun deliberations,
members will not be added or substituted without the approval of the
assistant chair, the assistant executive director and the working group
chair.
The Secretary of Transportation determined that the formation and
use of the ARAC is necessary and in the public interest in connection
with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
Meetings of the ARAC are open to the public. Meetings of the
Materials Flammability Working Group will not be open to the public,
except to the extent individuals with an interest and expertise are
selected to participate. The FAA will make no public
[[Page 52809]]
announcement of working group meetings.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 23, 2010.
Pamela Hamilton-Powell,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2010-21333 Filed 8-26-10; 8:45 am]
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