[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 19, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19621-19622]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-9646]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Cockpit Voice Recorder Systems

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability for public comment.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and request comments 
on a proposed Technical Standard Order pertaining to cockpit voice 
recorder systems. The proposed TSO prescribes the minimum performance 
standards that cockpit voice recorder systems must meet to be 
identified with the marking ``TSO-C123a.''

DATES: Comments must identify the TSO file number and be received on or 
before July 21, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments on the proposed technical standard order 
to: Technical Programs and Continued Airworthiness Branch, AIR-120, 
Aircraft Engineering Division, Aircraft Certification Service--File No. 
TSO-C123a, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591. Or deliver comments to: Federal Aviation 
Administration, Room 804, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Bobbie J. Smith, Technical Programs and Continued Airworthiness 
Branch, AIR-120, Aircraft Engineering Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20591, Telephone (202) 267-9546.

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed TSO 
listed in this notice by submitting such written data, views, or 
arguments as they desire to the above specified address. Comments 
received on the proposed technical standard order may be examined, 
before and after the comment closing date, in Room 804, FAA 
Headquarters Building (FOB-10A), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20591, weekdays except Federal holidays, between 8:30 
a.m. and 4:30 p.m. All communications received on or before the closing 
date for comments specified above will be considered by the Director of 
the Aircraft Certification Service before issuing the final TSO.

Background

    The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued four safety 
recommendations to the FAA concerning the fire protection standards for 
cockpit Voice recorders (CVRs) and flight data recorders (FDRs). The 
recommendations were prompted by the loss of vital information from 
several CVRs and FDRs as a result of thermal destruction of the 
recording medium in posit impact fires. The 
[[Page 19622]] recommendations request, among other requests, to 
conduct a study to determine the actual thermal profile of post impact 
fires and to revise the certification test protocol; to revise TSO's 
C123 and C124 to reflect the results of the study.
    The tests were conducted at the FAA Technical Center and final 
report was issued October 1994, titled ``Investigation of Flight Data 
Recorder Fire Test Requirements.'' The revise fire test protocol from 
this report is included in this revised TSO and is essentially the fire 
test in the reference European Organisation of Civil Aviation Equipment 
document ``Minimum Operational Performance Specification for Cockpit 
Voice Recorder System'' ED-56A published December 1993 except for the 
high temperature fire test has been extended to 60 minutes from 30 
minutes.

How to Obtain Copies

    A copy of the proposed TSO-C123a may be obtained by contacting 
``For Further Information Contact.'' TSO-C123a references EUROCAE 
Document No. ED-56, dated October 1993, for the minimum operational 
requirements for cockpit voice recorders, ED-55, dated May 1990, for 
the minimum operational performance specification for flight data 
recorders, ED-14C, dated December 1989, and RTCA/DO-160C, dated 
December 1989, for environment standards, and RTCA/DO-178B, dated 
December 1992, for the computer software requirements. EUROCAE 
Documents No. ED-55 and ED-14C may be purchased from the European 
Organisation for Civil Aviation Electronics, 11 rue Hamelin, 75783 
Paris Cedex 16, France. RTCA/DO-160C and DO-178B may be purchased from 
RTCA, Inc., 1140 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 1020, Washington, DC 
20036-4001.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 13, 1995.
John K. McGrath,
Manager, Aircraft Engineering Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 95-9646 Filed 4-18-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M