[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 14, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37447-37448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14911]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Air Carrier Operations 
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: Eric Van Opstal, Federal Aviation 
Administration (AFS-200), 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20591; phone (202) 267-3774; fax (202) 267-5229.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA has established an Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
to provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator, through 
the Associated Administrator for Regulation and Certification, on the 
full range of the FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-
related issues. One area ARAC deals with is air carrier operations 
issues. These issues involve the operational requirements for air 
carriers, including crewmember requirements, airplane operating 
performance and limitations, and equipment requirements.

The Task

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

Extended Range Operations with Two-Engine Aircraft (ETOPS)

    1. Review the existing policy and requirements found in Advisory 
Circular (AC) 120-42A, applicable ETOPS special conditions, and policy 
memorandums and notices, for

[[Page 37448]]

certification and operational regulations and guidance material for 
ETOPS approvals up to 180 minutes.
    2. Develop comprehensive ETOPS airworthiness standards for 14 CFR 
parts 25, 33, 121, and 135, as appropriate, to codify the existing 
policies and practices.
    3. Develop ETOPS requirements for operations and excess of 180 
minutes up to whatever extent that may be justified. Develop those 
requirements such that incremental approvals up to a maximum may be 
approved.
    4. Develop standardized requirements for extended range operations 
for all airplanes, regardless of the number of engines, including all 
turbojet and turbopropeller commercial twin-engine airplanes (business 
jets), excluding reciprocating engine powered commercial airplanes. 
This effort should establish criteria for diversion times up to 180 
minutes that is consistent with existing ETOPS policy and procedures. 
It should also develop criteria for diversion times beyond 180 minutes 
that is consistent with the ETOPS criteria developed by the working 
group.
    5. Develop additional guidance and/or advisory material as the ARAC 
finds appropriate.
    6. Harmonize such standardized requirements across national 
boundaries and regulatory bodies.
    7. Any proposal to increase the safety requirements for existing 
ETOPS approvals up to 207 minutes must contain data defining the unsafe 
conditions that would warrant the safety requirements.
    8. The working group will provide briefings to the Transport 
Airplane and Engine Issues group.
    9. The recommendations should consider the comments received as a 
result of the April 27, 1999 and January 21, 2000 Federal Register 
notices.
    10. Within one year of publication of the ARAC task in the Federal 
Register, submit recommendations to the FAA in the form of a proposed 
rule.

Working Group Activity

    The ETOPS 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 air carrier operations issues held following 
publication of this notice.
    2. Give a detailed conceptual presentation of the proposed 
recommendations, prior to a proceeding with the work stated in item 3 
below.
    3. Draft an appropriate report.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of ARAC held to consider 
air carrier operations issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The ETOPS 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.
    A person who has expertise in the subject matter and wishes to 
become a member of the working group should contact Mark Lawyer, 
Federal Aviation Administration (ARM-107), 800 Independence Avenue, 
SW., Washington, DC 20591; phone (202) 493-4531; fax (202) 267-5075; 
email [email protected]. The person should describe his or her 
interest in the tasks and state 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. The 
person will be advised whether or not the request can be accommodated. 
Requests to participate on the ETOPS Working Group should be submitted 
no later than June 26, 2000. To the extent possible, the composition of 
the working group will be balanced among the aviation interests 
selected to participate.
    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 ETOPS 
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 June 7, 2000.
Gregory L. Michael,
Assistant Executive Director for Air Carrier Operations Issues, 
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 00-14911 Filed 6-13-00; 8:45 am]
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