[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 49 (Tuesday, March 14, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 13862-13864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6274]




[[Page 13861]]

_______________________________________________________________________

Part VIII





Department of Transportation





_______________________________________________________________________



Federal Aviation Administration



_______________________________________________________________________



14 CFR Parts 121, 125, and 135



Increased Flight Data Recorder Parameters; Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 14, 1995 / 
Proposed Rules   
[[Page 13862]] 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 121, 125, and 135

[Docket No. 28109, Notice No. 95-4]


Increased Flight Data Recorder Parameters

agency: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

action: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

summary: The FAA is soliciting comments from the public, aircraft 
manufacturers and operators, and manufacturers of flight data recorders 
(FDR's) on the recent recommendations issued by the National 
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on increased FDR parameters. The FAA 
seeks comment on any aspect of the NTSB recommendations, including the 
potential safety benefits and financial costs for each of the NTSB 
recommendations. Comments received on the recommendations will assist 
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in preparing potential 
regulatory action and in analyzing specific exceptions or alternatives 
that should be considered.

dates: Comments must be received on or before March 31, 1995.
    A public meeting to discuss the NTSB recommendations will be held 
on April 20, 1995, starting at 9 a.m.

addresses: Comments on the NTSB recommendations discussed in this 
document should be mailed or delivered, in triplicate, to: Federal 
Aviation Administration, Attention: Rules Docket (AGC-200), 800 
Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591. Comments must be marked: 
Docket No. 28109. Comments may also be sent electronically to the 
following Internet address: [email protected]. Comments may be 
examined in room 915G weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., except 
Federal holidays.
    The public meeting will be held at the FAA National Headquarters, 
800 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20591.

for further information contact: Requests to present a statement at the 
meeting or questions regarding the logistics of the meeting should be 
directed to Jeanne Trapani, Office of Rulemaking, 800 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-7624.
    Questions concerning the subject matter of the meeting should be 
directed to Frank Rock, Technical Analysis Branch (AIR-120), Aircraft 
Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591, Telephone (202) 267-
9567.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Participation at the Meeting

    Requests from persons who wish to present oral statements at the 
public meeting should be received by the FAA no later than April 15, 
1995. Such requests should be submitted to Jeanne Trapani at the 
address listed in the section entitled FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT 
and should include a written summary of oral remarks to be presented. 
Requests received after the date specified above will be scheduled if 
time is available during the meeting; however, the name of those 
individuals may not appear on the written agenda for the public 
meeting.
    The FAA will prepare an agenda of speakers who will be available at 
the meeting. Every effort will be made to accommodate as many speakers 
as possible. The amount of time allocated to each speaker may be less 
than the amount of time requested.

Background

    On February 22, 1995, the NTSB issued three recommendations to the 
FAA as a result of its investigation of accidents and incidents that, 
in the opinion of the NTSB, have demonstrated that more information 
about flight control parameters should be recorded by FDR's. A copy of 
the NTSB Safety Recommendation letter of February 22, 1995, has been 
placed in the FAA docket. Contrasting accident/incident data involving 
airplanes with 5- and 128-parameter FDR's, the NTSB indicated that 
investigations were greatly aided by the availability of enhanced 
recorded information. The NTSB recommended that the FAA require 
operators to retrofit certain airplanes currently in operation with 
enhanced FDR's and require certain enhanced FDR's on newly-manufactured 
airplanes. The NTSB also issued recommendations to operators and 
manufacturers of aircraft operated under parts 121, 125, and 135. 
However, these recommendations will not be addressed at the public 
meeting. See attachment A of NTSB Safety Recommendation letter dated 
February 22, 1995.
    The NTSB stated that among the additional flight control parameters 
that are needed are parameters that pertain to the flight control 
inputs and control surface positions. Acknowledging that the cost of 
increasing the recorded parameters on FDR's would necessitate a 
significant monetary investment, the NTSB stated that public safety 
outweighs the costs.
    With this notice, the FAA is soliciting comments on the following 
NTSB recommendations:

    Require that each Boeing 737 airplane operated under 14 CFR 
parts 121 or 125 be equipped, by December 31, 1995, with a flight 
data recorder system that records, as a minimum, the parameters 
required by current regulations applicable to that airplane plus the 
following parameters (recorded at the sampling rates specified in 
``Proposed Minimum FDR Parameter Requirements for Airplanes in 
Service'' [see Table 1 below]): lateral acceleration; flight control 
inputs for pitch, roll, and yaw; and primary flight control surface 
positions for pitch, roll, and yaw.
    Amend, by December 31, 1995, 14 CFR 121.343, 125.225, and 
135.152 to require that Boeing 727 airplanes, Lockheed L-1011 
airplanes, and all transport category airplanes operated under 14 
CFR parts 121, 125, or 135 whose type certificate applies to 
airplanes still in production, be equipped to record on a flight 
data recorder system, as a minimum, the parameters listed in 
``Proposed Minimum FDR Parameter Requirements for Airplanes in 
Service'' plus any other parameters required by current regulations 
applicable to each individual airplane. Specify that the airplanes 
be so equipped by January 1, 1998, or by the later date when they 
meet Stage 3 noise requirements but, regardless of Stage 3 
compliance status, no later than December 31, 1999.
    Amend, by December 31, 1995, 14 CFR 121.343, 125.225, and 
135.152 to require that all airplanes operated under 14 CFR parts 
121, 125, or 135 (10 seats or larger), for which an original 
airworthiness certificate is received after December 31, 1996, 
record the parameters listed in ``Proposed FDR Enhancements for 
Newly Manufactured Airplanes'' [see Table 2 below] on a flight data 
recorder having at least 25-hour recording capacity.

    The FAA requests that commenters be specific and provide as much 
factual detail in comments as possible. Cost information is also 
particularly requested.
    Because of the time frame recommended by the NTSB and the date of 
the public meeting, the FAA requests that commenters be timely in their 
response. All comments received will be available, both before and 
after the closing date for comments, in the Rules Docket.
    The FAA anticipates that comments provided in response to this 
notice will assist the agency in responding to the NTSB 
recommendations.

Meeting Procedures

    The following procedures are established to facilitate the 
meeting: [[Page 13863]] 
    (1) There will be no admission fee or other charge to attend or to 
participate in the meeting. The opportunity to speak will be available 
to all persons who have requested in advance to present statements or 
who register on the day of the meeting subject to availability of space 
in the meeting room.
    (2) There will be morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks.
    (3) The meeting may adjourn early if scheduled speakers complete 
their statements in less time than is scheduled for the meeting.
    (4) An individual, whether speaking in a personal or a 
representative capacity on behalf of an organization, may be limited to 
a 10-minute statement. If possible, we will notify the speaker if 
additional time is available.
    (5) The FAA will try to accommodate all speakers. If the available 
time does not permit this, speakers generally will be scheduled on a 
first-come-first-served basis. However, the FAA reserves the right to 
exclude some speakers if necessary to present a balance of viewpoints 
and issues.
    (6) Sign and oral interpretation may be made available at the 
meeting, as well as an assistive listening device, if requested at 
least 10 calendar days before the meeting.
    (7) Representatives of the FAA will preside over the meeting. A 
panel of FAA personnel involved in this issue will be present.
    (8) The meeting will be recorded by a court reporter. A transcript 
of the meeting and any material accepted by the panel during the 
meeting will be included in the public docket. Any person who is 
interested in purchasing a copy of the transcript should contact the 
court reporter directly.
    (9) The FAA will review and consider all material presented by 
participants at the meeting. Position papers or material presenting 
views or information related to the FDR's may be accepted at the 
discretion of the presiding officer and subsequently placed in the 
public docket. The FAA requests that persons participating in the 
meeting provide 10 copies of all materials to be presented for 
distribution to the panel members; other copies may be provided to the 
audience at the discretion of the participant.
    (10) Statements made by members of the meeting panel are intended 
to facilitate discussion of the issues or to clarify issues. Any 
statement made during the meeting by a member of the panel is not 
intended to be, and should not be construed as, a position of the FAA.
    (11) The meeting is designed to solicit public views and more 
complete information. Therefore, the meeting will be conducted in an 
informal and nonadversarial manner. No individual will be subject to 
cross-examination by any other participant; however, panel members may 
ask questions to clarify a statement and to ensure a complete and 
accurate record.
    (12) Speakers are encouraged, before the meeting, to review the 
comments received in the docket, providing them an opportunity to 
express their view at the meeting on the comments in the docket, as 
well as present any additional comments.

 Table 1.--Proposed Minimum FDR Parameter Requirements for Airplanes in 
  Service (from Attachment A, NTSB Safety Recommendation, February 22,  
                                  1995)                                 
Proposed Minimum Parameters:                                            
  1. Altitude                                                           
  2. Airspeed                                                           
  3. Vertical acceleration                                              
  4. Heading                                                            
  5. Time of each radio transmission to air traffic control             
  6. Pitch attitude                                                     
  7. Roll attitude                                                      
  8. Longitudinal acceleration                                          
  9. Pitch trim position*                                               
  10. Yaw trim position**                                               
  11. Roll trim position**                                              
  12. Control column and pitch control surface position**               
  13. control wheel and lateral control surface position**              
  14. Rudder pedal and yaw control surface position**                   
  15. Thrust of each engine                                             
  16. Position of each thrust reverser (or equivalent for propeller     
   airplane)*                                                           
  17. Trailing edge flap or cockpit flap control position*              
  18. Leading edge flap or cockpit flap control position*               
  19. Ground spoiler position/speed brake selection**                   
  20. angle of attack (when information source is available)**          
                                                                        


                                                                        
  21. Lateral acceleration**                                            
  22. Autopilot engagement status**                                     
  23. Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) modes and engagement       
   status**                                                             
  24. Outside or total air temperature**                                
                                                                        
(*) Indicates a new or changed parameter relative to the current 11-    
  parameter requirement. (**) Indicates a new or changed parameter      
  relative to the current 17-parameter requirement.                     


  Table 2.--Proposed FDR Enhancements for Newly Manufactured Airplanes  
   (from Attachment B of the NTSB Safety Recommendation, February 22,   
                                 1995).                                 
Acceleration Parameters:                                                
  Vertical                                                              
  Lateral                                                               
  Longitudinal                                                          
Airplane Performance/Position Parameters:                               
  Altitude                                                              
  Airspeed                                                              
  Air/ground sensor (primary airplane systems reference, nose or main   
   gear)                                                                
  Brake pressure and pedal position                                     
  Drift angle (when an information source is installed)                 
  Ground speed (when an information source is installed)                
  Wind speed and direction (when an information source is installed)    
  Outside air temperature or total air temperature                      
  Radio altitude (when an information source is installed)              
  Latitude and longitude (when an information source is installed)      
Airplane Attitude Parameters:                                           
  Angle of attack left and right (when an information source is         
   installed)                                                           
  Pitch                                                                 
  Roll                                                                  
  Magnetic heading                                                      
  True heading (when an information source is installed, sampled 1 per 4
   seconds)                                                             
  Yaw or sideslip angle (when an information source is installed)       
Flight Controls Position and Input Parameters:                          
  All control surface positions--primary controls (pitch, roll, and yaw)
  All cockpit flight control input positions and forces (control wheel, 
   control column, rudder pedal)                                        
    (sidestick controllers on fly-by-wire systems)                      
  All trim surface positions--primary controls (pitch, roll, and yaw)   
  All cockpit trim control input positions--primary controls (pitch,    
   roll, and yaw)                                                       
  Thrust/power--primary flightcrew reference (may require multiple      
   parameters for all phases of flight)                                 
  Throttle/power lever position                                         
  Thrust reverser status (i.e., stow, transit, deployed, reverse pitch) 
  Thrust command (when an information source is installed)              
  Thrust target (when an information source is installed)               
  Engine bleed valve position (when an information source is installed) 
Airplane Configuration Parameters:                                      
  Flap position (trailing and leading edge)                             
  Spoiler position (ground and speed brake)                             
  Spoiler/speed brake cockpit selection/status (armed--ground spoiler)  
  Flap cockpit control selection                                        
  Landing gear position                                                 
  Landing gear cockpit control selection                                
  De-icing or anti-icing system selection (when an information source is
   installed, sampled 1 per 4 seconds)                                  
[[Page 13864]]                                                          
                                                                        
  Fuel quantity in CG trim tank (when an information source is          
   installed)                                                           
  Computed center of gravity (when an information source is installed)  
  AC electrical bus status                                              
  DC electrical bus status                                              
  APU bleed valve position                                              
  Hydraulic pressure (all systems)                                      
Navigation Aids:                                                        
  Localizer deviation                                                   
  Glideslope deviation                                                  
  DME 1 and 2 distances                                                 
  Nav 1 and 2 selected frequency                                        
  GPS position data (when an information source is installed)           
  Marker beacon passage                                                 
Autopilot Parameters:                                                   
  Engagement status (all systems)                                       
  AFCS modes and engagement status                                      
Timing:                                                                 
  Radio transmitter keying                                              
  UTC (when an information source is installed)                         
  Recorder elapsed time (frame counter, 0 to 4095)                      
  CVR/DFDR synchronization reference (when an information source is     
   installed)                                                           
  Event marker                                                          
                                                                        


                                                                        
Warning Parameters:                                                     
  GPWS                                                                  
  Hydraulic pressure low (each system)                                  
  Master warning                                                        
  Loss of cabin pressure                                                
  TCAS--TA, RA, and sensitivity (as selected by crew)                   
  Icing (when an information source is installed)                       
  Engine warnings each engine--                                         
    Vibration (when an information source is installed)                 
    Over temp. (when an information source is installed)                
    Oil pressure low (when an information source is installed)          
    Over speed (when an information source is installed)                
  Windshear (when an information source is installed)                   
  Computer failure                                                      
  Stick shacker/pusher (when an information source is installed)        
Manual/Automatic Selected Parameters:                                   
  Selected barometric setting                                           
  Selected speed                                                        
  Selected vertical speed                                               
  Selected heading                                                      
  Selected flight path                                                  
  Selected decision height                                              
  EFIS display format                                                   
  Head-up display (when an information source is installed)             
  Para-visual display (when an information source is installed)         
  Multi-function/engine/alerts display format                           
                                                                        


    Issued in Washington, DC on March 8, 1995.
Anthony J. Broderick,
Associate Administrator for Regulation and Certification.
[FR Doc. 95-6274 Filed 3-13-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M