[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 165 (Wednesday, August 26, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45554-45556]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-22918]


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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: 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, Transport Standards 
Staff (ANM-110), Federal Aviation Administration, 1601 Lind Avenue, 
SW., Renton, WA 98055-4056; phone (425) 227-1255; fax (425) 227-1320.

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.

[[Page 45555]]

These issues involve the airworthiness standards for transport category 
airplanes and engines in 14 CFR parts 25, 33, and 35 and parallel 
provisions in 14 CFR parts 121 and 135.

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:

Flight Control Systems

    Review the current Secs. 25.671 and 25.672 standards and 
corresponding JAR 25.671 and 25.672 standards pertaining to flight 
control systems, taking into account the requirements in Secs. 25.1309 
and 25.1329. Also review current policy including that established by 
special conditions issued for fly-by-wire control systems and active 
flight controls, and any related advisory material. Examine accumulated 
transport airplane service history to validate assumptions made on the 
probability of occurrence of system failure and consider any NTSB 
recommendation. In light of this review, recommend new harmonized 
standards, and develop related advisory material as necessary. Of 
particular concern is development of advisory material addressing the 
following regulatory areas:
    A. In FAR 25.671(c), the definition of extremely improbable and 
probable failures is provided in the rule itself, and this definition 
differs from the numerical definition which is commonly used in showing 
compliance with FAR 25.1309, which sometimes leads to confusion. Unlike 
FAR, JAR 25.671(c)(1) excludes single failures when they are shown to 
be extremely improbable. JAR definition of probabilities is in line 
with 25.1309. A uniform means of compliance needs to be developed. It 
is expected that considerable elaboration would be made as to how the 
various mechanical, hydraulic and electrical failures should be 
handled. Consideration should be given to latent failures and the 
relationship of the flight control failures with the occurrence of 
engine failures.
    B. In light of the rate of control jams experienced in the 
transport fleet to date, and using the experience as an indicator of 
types of control system malfunctions that may be safety concerns, 
provide any necessary regulatory and/or policy provisions to:
    1. Define the meaning of the terms ``normal flight envelope'', 
``without exceptional piloting skill or strength'', ``minor effects'', 
and ``control position normally encountered'' as used in 
Sec. 25.671(c).
    2. Determine to what extent basic airmanship skills and reasonable 
pilot response and action may be used to alleviate the resulting 
airplane control problems. Determine the applicability of crosswind to 
the landing situation with a jammed flight control.
    3. Identify acceptable methodology by which to judge the 
controllability/maneuverability of an airplane with a jammed control 
system (e.g. Handling Qualities Rating System (HQRM)).
    4. Review NTSB Recommendation A-96-108 and appropriately respond to 
the proposed criteria.
    5. Consider comments in AIA-GAMA letter dated January 23, 1997 and 
the input received at the December 3, 1996, public meeting conducted by 
the FAA.
    6. Address structural loading conditions following the jammed 
failure condition required for continued safe flight and landing.
    C. Provide advisory material that addresses the all engine failure 
condition defined in Sec. 25.671(d).
    The FAA expects ARAC to submit its recommendation(s) by March 31, 
2001.
    The FAA requests that ARAC draft appropriate regulatory documents 
with supporting economic and other required analyses, and any other 
related guidance material or collateral documents to support its 
recommendations. If the resulting recommendation is one or more notices 
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published by the FAA, the FAA may ask 
ARAC to recommend disposition of any substantive comments the FAA 
receives.

ARAC Acceptance of Tasks

    ARAC has accepted the tasks and has chosen to establish a new 
Flight Controls 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 Flight Controls 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 task, 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. 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. If the resulting recommendation is one or more notices 
of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published by the FAA, the FAA may ask 
ARAC to recommend disposition of any substantive comments the FAA 
receives.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of ARAC held to consider 
transport airplane and engine issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The Flight Controls Harmonization Working Group will be composed of 
technical 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 and 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. All requests to 
participate must be received no later than September 25, 1998. The 
requests will be reviewed by the assistance chair and the assistant 
executive director, and the individuals will be advised whether or not 
the request can be accommodated.
    Individuals chosen for membership on the working group will be 
expected to represent their aviation community segment and participate 
actively in the working group (e.g., attend all meetings, provide 
written comments when requested to do so, etc.). They also will be 
expected to devote the resources necessary to ensure the ability of the 
working group to meet any assigned deadline(s). Members are expected to 
keep their management chain advised of working group activities and 
decisions to ensure that the agreed technical solutions do not conflict 
with their sponsoring organization's position when the subject being 
negotiated is presented to ARAC for a vote.
    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.

[[Page 45556]]

    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. Meetings of the Flight 
Controls 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 August 20, 1998.
Joseph A. Hawkins,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 98-22918 Filed 8-25-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M