[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 102 (Friday, May 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 26247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13159]



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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Transport Airplane and 
Engine Issues--New Task

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of a new task assignment for the Aviation Rulemaking 
Advisory Committee (ARAC).

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SUMMARY: Notice is given of a new task assigned to and accepted by the 
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC). This notice informs the 
public of the activities of ARAC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stewart R. Miller, Manager, Transport Standards Staff, ANM-110, FAA, 
Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 
Lind Ave. SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056, telephone (206) 227-2190, fax 
(206) 226-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA has established an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
to provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator, through 
the Associate Administrator for Regulation and Certification, on the 
full range of the FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-
related issues. This includes obtaining advice and recommendations on 
the FAA's commitment to harmonize its Federal Aviation Regulations 
(FAR) and practices with its trading partners in Europe and Canada.
    One area ARAC deals with is Transport Airplane and Engine issues. 
These issues involve the airworthiness standards for transport category 
airplanes in 14 CFR parts 25, 33, and 35 of the FAR and parallel 
provisions in 14 CFR parts 121 and 135 of the FAR. The corresponding 
European airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes are 
contained in Joint Aviation Requirements (JAR)-25, JAR-E and JAR-P, 
respectively. The corresponding Canadian Standards are contained in 
Chapters 525, 533 and 535 respectively.

The Task

    This notice is to inform the public that the FAA has asked ARAC to 
provide advice and recommendation on the following harmonization task:

    Fuselage Doors. Review the current standards of Sec. 25.783 and 
corresponding JAR-25.783 concerning doors and any related advisory 
material. Review also any relevant service experience, National 
Transportation Safety Board recommendations A-89-092, A-89-093, A-
89-094 and A-92-21, and recommendations made by the Air Transport 
Association door review team. In light of this review, recommend 
changes to harmonize Sec. 25.783 and JAR-25.783, recommend new 
harmonized standards, and develop related advisory material as 
necessary.

    The FAA has also asked that ARAC determine if rulemaking action 
(e.g., NPRM, supplemental NPRM, final rule, withdrawal) should be 
taken, or advisory material should be issued or revised. If so, ARAC 
has been asked to prepare the necessary documents, including economic 
analysis, to justify and carry out its recommendation(s).

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    ARAC has accepted this task and has chosen to assign it to the 
existing General Structures Harmonization Working Group. The working 
group will serve as staff to ARAC to assist ARAC in the analysis of the 
assigned task. Working group recommendations must be reviewed and 
approved by ARAC. If ARAC accepts the working group's recommendations, 
it forwards them to the FAA as ARAC recommendations.

Working Group Activity

    The General Structures Harmonization Working Group is expected to 
comply with the procedures adopted by ARAC. As part of the procedures, 
the working group is expected to:
    1. Recommend a work plan for completion of the tasks, including the 
rationale supporting such a plan, for consideration at the meeting of 
ARAC to consider 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. For each task, draft appropriate regulatory documents with 
supporting economic and other required analyses, and/or any other 
related guidance material or collateral documents the working group 
determines to be appropriate; or, if new or revised requirements or 
compliance methods are not recommended, a draft report stating the 
rationale for not making such recommendations.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of ARAC held to consider 
Transport Airplane and Engine Issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The General Structures Harmonization Working Group is composed of 
experts having an interest in the assigned task. A working group member 
need not be a representative of a member of the full committee.
    An individual who has expertise in the subject matter with wishes 
to become a member of the working group should write to the person 
listed under the caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT expressing 
that desire, describing his or her interest in the tasks, and stating 
the expertise he or she would bring to the working group. The request 
will be reviewed by the assistant chair, the assistant executive 
director, and the working group chair, and the individual will be 
advised whether or not the request can be accommodated.
    The Secretary of Transportation has determined that the formation 
and use of ARAC are necessary and in the public interest in connection 
with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    Meetings of ARAC will be open to the public, except as authorized 
by section 10(d) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. Meetings of the 
General Structures Harmonization Working Group will not be open to the 
public, except to the extent that individuals with an interest and 
expertise are selected to participate. No public announcement of 
working group meetings will be made.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on May 14, 1996.
Chris Christie,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 96-13159 Filed 5-23-96; 8:45 am]
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