[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 32 (Wednesday, February 16, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8006-8007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3703]



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Part V





Department of Transportation





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14 CFR Parts 21, 25, et al.



Transport Airplane Fuel Tank System Design Review, Flammability 
Reduction, and Maintenance and Inspection Requirements; Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 32 / Wednesday, February 16, 2000 / 
Proposed Rules  

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 21, 25, 91, 121, 125, and 129

[Docket No. FAA-1999-6411; Notice No. 99-18]
RIN 2120-AG62


Transport Airplane Fuel Tank System Design Review, Flammability 
Reduction, and Maintenance and Inspection Requirements

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On October 29, 1999, the FAA published a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) that would require design approval holders of certain 
turbine-powered transport category airplanes to submit substantiation 
to the FAA that the design of the fuel tank system of previously 
certificated airplanes precludes the existence of ignition sources 
within the airplane fuel tanks. The comment period for the notice 
closed January 27, 2000; however, the FAA is reopening the comment 
period in response to a request from the public to allow additional 
time to develop comments in response to the notice.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 27, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposed rulemaking should be mailed, or 
delivered in duplicate, to: U.S. Department of Transportation Dockets, 
Docket No. FAA-1999-6411, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Room Plaza 401, 
Washington, DC 20590. Comments may be filed and examined in Room Plaza 
401 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, except Federal holidays. 
Comments also may be sent electronically to the Dockets Management 
System (DMS) at the following Internet address: http//dms.dot.gov at 
any time Commenters who wish to file comments electronically should 
follow the instructions on the DMS web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael E. Dostert, FAA, Propulsion/
Mechanical Branch, ANM-112, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98055-
4056, telephone (425) 227-2132; facsimile (425) 227-1320; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to participate in the making of the 
proposed action by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as 
they may desire. Comments relating to the environmental, energy, 
federalism, or economic impact that might result from adopting the 
proposals in this document also are invited. Substantive comments 
should be accompanied by cost estimates. Comments must identify the 
regulatory docket or notice number and be submitted in duplicate to the 
DOT Rules Docket address specified above.
    All comments received, as well as a report summarizing each 
substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning this proposed 
rulemaking, will be filed in the docket. The docket is available for 
public inspection before and after the comment closing date.
    All comments received on or before the closing date will be 
considered by the Administrator before taking action on this proposed 
rulemaking. Comments filed late will be considered as far as possible 
without incurring expense or delay. The proposals in this document may 
be changed in light of the comments received.
    Commenters wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
submitted in response to this document must include a pre-addressed, 
stamped postcard with those comments on which the following statement 
is made: ``Comments to Docket No. FAA-1999-6411.'' The postcard will be 
date stamped and mailed to the commenter.

Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded using a modem 
and suitable communications software from the FAA regulations section 
of the FedWorld electronic bulletin board service (telephone: (703) 
321-3339) or the Government Printing Office (GPO)'s electronic bulletin 
board service (telephone: (202) 512-1661.
    Internet users may reach the FAA's web page at http://www.faa.gov/avr/arm/nprm/nprm.htm or the GPO's web page at http://www.access.gop.gov/nara for access to recently published rulemaking 
documents.
    Any person may obtain a copy of this document by submitting a 
request to the Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Rulemaking, 
ARM-1, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20591, or by calling 
(202) 267-9680. Communications must identify the notice number or 
docket number of this NPRM.
    Persons interested in being placed on the mailing list for future 
rulemaking documents should request from the above office a copy of 
Advisory Circular No. 11-2A. Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Distribution 
System, which describes the application procedure.

Background

    On October 29, 1999, the FAA published in the Federal Register (64 
FR 58644) Notice No. 99-18, ``Transport Airplane Fuel Tank System 
Design Review, Flammability Reduction, and Maintenance and Inspection 
Requirements.'' The proposed rule would require design approval holders 
of certain turbine-powered transport category airplanes to submit 
substantiation to the FAA that the design of the fuel tank system of 
previously certificated airplanes precludes the existence of ignition 
sources within the airplane fuel tanks. It would also require the 
affected design approval holders to develop specific fuel tank system 
maintenance and inspection instructions for any items in the fuel tank 
system that are determined to require repetitive inspections or 
maintenance, to assure the safety of the fuel tank system. In addition, 
the proposed rule would require certain operators of those airplanes to 
incorporate FAA-approved fuel tank system maintenance and inspection 
instructions into their current maintenance or inspection program.
    By letter dated December 8, 1999, the Air Transport Association 
(ATA) requested that the comment period for Notice 99-18 be extended to 
allow additional time to study and understand the implications of what 
they consider to be a very complex proposal, and to provide a 
constructive response. The commenter states that the advisory materials 
referenced in the notice, which are to provide guidance on performing 
the proposed safety review, have not been available for comment, 
leaving the airlines and industry having to respond to the notice 
without the full details of its implication available to them.

Reopening of Comment Period

    The FAA has reviewed the request for reconsideration of an extended 
comment period for Notice No. 99-18 and has determined that an 
extension would be in the public interest, and that good cause exists 
for taking this action. We apologize for the delay in publishing the 
advisory material. Work on the draft advisory circulars (AC 25.981-1X, 
Fuel Tank Ignition Source Prevention Guidelines, and AC 25.981-2X. Fuel 
Tank Flammability Minimizations) was recently completed. A notice 
requesting

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public comments has been published in an earlier issue of the Federal 
Register.
    The comment period on Notice 99-18 closed on January 27, 2000. To 
provide all interested persons with additional time to review the NPRM 
and the corresponding advisory material, the FAA finds that it is in 
the public interest to reopen the comment period for an additional 60 
days beyond the original period closing date.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2000.
Nancy C. Lane,
Acting Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 00-3703 Filed 2-15-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M