[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 101 (Thursday, May 23, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 25778-25780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13026]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM-125; Special Conditions No. 25-ANM-115]


Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 900EX 
Airplane; High-Intensity Radiated Fields

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Dassault Aviation 
Model Falcon 900EX airplane. This airplane is a derivative of the Model 
Mystere-Falcon 900, which is itself derived from the Mystere-Falcon 50, 
and will utilize new avionics/electronic systems that provide critical 
data to the flightcrew. The applicable regulations do not contain 
adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of these 
systems from the effects of high-intensity radiated fields. 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.

DATES: The effective date of these special conditions is May 14, 1996. 
Comments must be received on or before June 24, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposal may be mailed in duplicate to: 
Federal Aviation Administration, Office of the Assistant Chief Counsel, 
Attn: Rules Docket (ANM-7), Docket No. NM-125, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 
Renton, Washington, 98055-4056; or delivered in duplicate to the Office 
of the Assistant Chief Counsel at the above address. Comments must be 
marked: Docket No. NM-125. Comments may be inspected in the Rules 
Docket weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 
p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Thomas Groves, FAA, Standardization Branch, ANM-113, Transport Airplane 
Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 
Renton, Washington, 98055-4056; telephone (206) 227-1503; facsimile 
(206) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA has determined that good cause exists for making these 
special conditions effective upon issuance; however, interested persons 
are invited to submit such written data, views, or arguments as they 
may desire. Communications should identify the regulatory docket and 
special condition number and be submitted in duplicate to the address 
specified above. All communications received on or before the closing 
date for comments will be considered by the Administrator. These 
special conditions may be changed in light of the comments received. 
All comments submitted will be available in the Rules Docket for 
examination by interested persons, both before and after the closing 
date for comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact 
with FAA personnel concerning this rulemaking will be filed in the 
docket. Persons wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their 
comments submitted in response to this request must submit with those 
comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the following 
statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. NM-125.'' The postcard will 
be date stamped and returned to the commenter

Background

    On March 3, 1993, Dassault Aviation, B.P 24--33701 Merignac CEDEX,

[[Page 25779]]

France, applied for an amendment to type certificate A46EU to include 
the Model Falcon 900EX airplane. The Falcon 900EX is a modified version 
of the Model Mystere-Falcon 900, which is itself a derivative of the 
Model Mystere-Falcon 50. The Falcon 900EX is intended to be used as a 
twelve passenger executive airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of 
49,000 pounds and a maximum operating altitude of 51,000 feet.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Sec. 21.101, Dassault Aviation must show 
that the Model Falcon 900EX meets the applicable provisions of the 
regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate A46EU, or the 
applicable regulations in effect on the date of application for change 
to the Model Mystere-Falcon 900. 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 Type Certificate No. A46EU are as follows: 14 CFR part 25, 
as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-34, and certain special 
conditions and later amended sections of part 25 that are not relevant 
to these special conditions. These special conditions will form an 
additional part of the type certification basis. In addition, the 
certification basis may include other special conditions that are not 
relevant to these special conditions.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Falcon 900EX must comply with the fuel vent and exhaust 
emission requirements of part 34 and the noise certification 
requirements of part 36.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (i.e., part 25, as amended) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the Model Falcon 900EX because of a 
novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed 
under the provisions of Sec. 21.16 to establish a level of safety 
equivalent to that established in the regulations.
    Special conditions, as appropriate, are issued in accordance with 
Title 14 CFR Sec. 11.49 after public notice, as required by Secs. 11.28 
and 11.29, and become part of the type certification basis in 
accordance with Sec. 21.101(b)(2).
    Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which 
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be further 
amended later to include any other model that incorporates the same 
novel or unusual design feature, or should any other model already 
included on the same type certificate be modified to incorporate the 
same novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would also 
apply to the other model under the provisions of Sec. 21.101(a)(1).

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Model Falcon 900EX incorporates new avionic/electronic 
installations, including a digital Electronic Flight Instrument System 
(EFIS), Air Data Computers, Autothrottle, Engine Instrument Display 
(EID), Bleed Air System Computer (BASC), and a Digital Electronic 
Engine Control (DEEC) system that controls critical engine parameters. 
These systems may be vulnerable to high-intensity radiated fields 
(HIRF) external to the airplane.

Discussion

    There is no specific regulation that addresses protection 
requirements for electrical and electronic systems from HIRF. Increased 
power levels from ground-based radio transmitters and the growing use 
of sensitive electrical and electronic systems to command and control 
airplanes have made it necessary to provide adequate protection.
    To ensure that a level of safety is achieved equivalent to that 
intended by the regulations incorporated by reference, special 
conditions are needed for the Model Falcon 900EX, which require that 
new technology electrical and electronic systems, such as the EFIS, 
DEEC, etc., be designed and installed to preclude component damage and 
interruption of function due to both the direct ant indirect effects of 
HIRF.
    With the trend toward increased power levels from ground-based 
transmitters, plus the advent of space and satellite communications, 
coupled with electronic command and control of the airplane, the 
immunity of critical digital avionics systems to HIRF must be 
established.
    It is not possible to precisely define the HIRF to which the 
airplane will be exposed in service. There is also uncertainty 
concerning the effectiveness of airframe shielding for HIRF. 
Furthermore, coupling of electromagnetic energy to cockpit-installed 
equipment through the cockpit window apertures is undefined. Based on 
surveys and analysis of existing HIRF emitters, an adequate level of 
protection exists when compliance with the HIRF protection special 
condition is shown with either paragraphs 1 or 2 below:
    1. A minimum threat of 100 volts per meter peak electric field 
strength from 10 KHz to 18 GHz.
    a. The threat must be applied to the system elements and their 
associated wiring harnesses without the benefit of airframe shielding.
    b. Demonstration of this level of protection is established through 
system tests and analysis.
    2. A threat external to the airframe of the following field 
strengths for the frequency ranges indicated.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        
                       Frequency                        Peak (V/ Average
                                                           M)     (V/M) 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 KHz--100 KHz.......................................       50       50
100 KHz--500 KHz......................................       60       60
500 KHz--2000 KHz.....................................       70       70
2 MHz--30 MHz.........................................      200      200
30 MHz--100MHz........................................       30       30
100 MHz--200 MHz......................................      150       33
200 MHz--400 MHz......................................       70       70
400 MHz--700 MHz......................................    4,020      935
700 MHz--1000 MHz.....................................    1,700      170
1 GHz--2 GHz..........................................    5,000      990
2 GHz--4GHz...........................................    6,680      840
4 GHz--6 GHz..........................................    6,850      310
6 GHz--8 GHz..........................................    3,600      670
8 GHz--12 GHz.........................................    3,500    1,270
12 GHz--18 GHz........................................    3,500      360
18 GHz--40 GHz........................................    2,100      750
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable 
initially to the Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 900EX. Should Dassault 
Aviation apply at a later date for further amendment 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 under the provisions of Sec. 21.101(a)(1).

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain design features on the Dassault 
Aviation Model Falcon 900EX airplane. It is not a rule of general 
applicability and affects only the manufacturer who applied to the FAA 
for approval of these features on the airplane.
    The substance of the special conditions for this airplane has been 
subjected to the notice and comment procedure in several prior 
instances and has been derived without substantive change from those 
previously issued. It is unlikely that prior public comment would 
result in a significant change from the substance contained herein. For 
this reason, and because a delay would significantly affect the 
certification of the airplane, which is imminent, the FAA has 
determined that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary and 
impracticable, and good cause exists for adopting this special 
condition immediately. Therefore, this special condition is being made 
effective upon issuance. The FAA is requesting comments to allow

[[Page 25780]]

interested persons to submit views that may not have been submitted in 
response to the prior opportunities for comment described above.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.

The Special Conditions

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the 
administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of 
the type certification basis for the Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 
900EX series airplanes.
    1. Protection From Unwanted Effects of High-Intensity Radiated 
Fields (HIRF). Each electrical and electronic system that performs 
critical functions must be designed and installed to ensure that the 
operation and operational capability of these systems to perform 
critical functions are not adversely affected when the airplane is 
exposed to high-intensity radiated fields.
    2. For the purpose of these special conditions, the following 
definition applies: Critical Functions: Functions whose failure would 
contribute to or cause a failure condition that would prevent the 
continued safe flight and landing of the airplane.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 14, 1996.
James V. Devany,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, ANM-100.
[FR Doc. 96-13026 Filed 5-22-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M