[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 144 (Thursday, July 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39074-39075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18674]


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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: The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee a 
new task to develop recommendations to ensure airplane ventilation 
systems and cabin environment will provide a suitable environment for 
crew and passengers following a pressurization system failure resulting 
in an airplane decompression. This notice is to inform the public of 
this ARAC activity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Huber, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Northwest Mountain Region Headquarters, 1601 Lind 
Avenue, SW. Renton, Washington, (425) 227-2589), [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA established the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee to 
provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator on the 
FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-related issues. 
This includes obtaining advice and recommendations on the FAA's 
commitments to harmonize Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations 
(14 CFR) with its partners in Europe and Canada.

The Task

Part 1: Ventilation--Heating and Humidity (Sec. 25.831(g))

     Review the current airworthiness standards for transport 
category airplanes regarding airplane cabin and flight deck 
environment.
     Determine if revisions are needed to ensure the 
ventilation system, following system failures, will provide a suitable 
environment for crew and passengers. The assessment should consider:
    1. The types of airplane system failure conditions that should be 
addressed.
    2. Setting the appropriate limiting values of cabin and flight-deck 
temperature, humidity levels, and exposure times to eliminate any 
unacceptable impact on flight crews and cabin crew performance, 
disabling any passengers, or creating long-term health problems to 
passengers or crews.
    3. Any relevant National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
(NASA), United States (US) Armed Forces, National Institute of 
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Occupational Safety and Health 
Administration (OSHA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), academia 
and industry standards for pressure, temperature and humidity.
     Develop a report based on the review, and recommend any 
revisions to the rules (including cost estimates) and advisory 
materials needed to address the above issues.
     If as a result of the recommendations in this report, the 
FAA publishes a notice of proposed rulemaking and/or notice of 
availability of proposed advisory circular for public comment, ARAC may 
be further tasked to review all comments received and provide the FAA 
with a recommendation for disposition of those comments.
    Schedule: This report is to be submitted no later than 24 months 
after the task is published by the FAA in the Federal Register.

Part 2: Cabin Pressurization (Sec. 25.841(a))

     Review and current airworthiness standards for transport 
category airplanes regarding airplane cabin altitudes resulting from 
cabin decompression.
     Determine if revisions are needed to ensure that during 
certain failure conditions the cabin environment is suitable for crew 
and passengers. The assessment should consider:

[[Page 39075]]

    1. The types of airplane system, structure, and/or propulsion 
failure conditions that should be addressed.
    2. The factors that impact the level of severity of the threat, 
airplane design features, and operation procedures that could be used 
to moderate the severity of the threat.
    3. The recommendation of appropriation cabin pressure standards 
that would govern cabin air quality following certain failure 
conditions. These standard should ensure that exposure time to a 
reduced pressure and the lack of oxygen in the airplane does not reach 
a level that would:
    a. Negatively impact the flight-deck crew's performance to the 
extent that the flight crew could not safely control the airplane 
during an emergency descent,
    b. Disable any cabin crew member or passenger to the degree that 
resuscitation techniques would be needed to revive, or
    c. Create long term health problems for the crew or passengers.
    4. A definition of terms (e.g., ``appreciable rise in the pressure 
differential'', ``reasonably precludes'', ``rapidly equalized'', ``any 
delay that would significantly increase the hazards'', etc.) and 
appropriate pressurization system requirements and practices during all 
phases of operation.
    5. Any relevant NASA, US Armed Forces, NIOSH, OSHA, FAA, academia 
and industry standards.
     Develop a report based on the review, and recommend any 
revisions to the rules (including cost estimates) and advisory 
materials needed to address the above issues.
     If as a result of the recommendations the FAA publishes a 
notice of proposed rulemaking and/or notice of availability of proposed 
advisory circular, ARAC may be further tasked to review all comments 
received and provide the FAA with a recommendation for disposition of 
those comments.
    Schedule: This report is to be submitted no later than 24 months 
after the task is published by the FAA in the Federal Register.

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    ARAC accepted the task and assigned the task to the Mechanical 
Systems Harmonization Working Group, Transport Airplane and Engine 
Issues. The working group serves as staff to ARAC and assists in the 
analysis of assigned task. ARAC must review and approve the working 
group's recommendations. If ARAC accepts the working group's 
recommendations, it will forward them to the FAA.

Working Group Activity

    The Mechanical Systems 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 next meeting 
of the ARAC on 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 items 3 
below.
    3. Draft the appropriate documents and required analyses and/or any 
other related materials or documents.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of the ARAC held to 
consider Transport Airplane and Engine Issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The Mechanical Systems Harmonization Working Group is composed of 
technical experts having an interest in the assigned task. A working 
group member need not be a representative or 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 task, and stating the 
expertise he or she would bring to the working group. All requests to 
participate must be received no later than August 24, 2001. The 
requests will be reviewed by the assistant chair, the assistant 
executive director, and the working group co-chairs. Individuals will 
be advised whether or not their request can be accommodated.
    Individuals chosen for membership on the working group will be 
expected to represent their aviation community segment and actively 
participate in the working group (e.g., attend all meetings, provide 
written comments when requests to do so, etc.). They also will be 
expected to devote the resources necessary to support the working group 
in meeting any assigned deadlines. Members are expected to keep their 
management chain and those they may represent advised of working group 
activities and decisions to ensure that the proposed technical 
solutions do not conflict with their sponsoring organization's position 
when the subject being negotiated is presented to ARAC for approval.
    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 co-chairs.
    The Secretary of Transportation determined that the formation and 
use of the ARAC is necessary and in the public interest in connection 
with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    Meetings of the ARAC will be open to the public. Meetings of the 
Mechanical Systems 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. The FAA will make no public 
announcement of working group meetings.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on July 23, 2001.
Anthony F. Fazio,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 01-18674 Filed 7-25-01; 8:45 am]
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