[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 163 (Wednesday, August 22, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44201-44202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-21172]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; General Aviation 
Certification and 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: The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee a 
new task to evaluate miscellaneous systems and recommend rulemaking to 
address system safety that would improve the safety of part 23 
airplanes. This notice is to inform the public of this ARAC activity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Leslie Taylor, Aerospace Engineer, 
Federal Aviation Administration, Central Region Headquarters, 901 
Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, (816) 329-4134, 
[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

    Evaluate the requirements for systems in the sections below and 
recommend rulemaking changes, in the form of an NPRM, to address 
systems safety which would improve the safety of part 23 airplanes--
     Revise Sec. 23.735 to clarify the requirement for 
operation of brakes after a single failure in the braking system in 
commuter category airplanes.
     Revise Sec. 23.1301 by deleting paragraph (d), and revise 
Sec. 23.1309 to include warning requirements, probability values, and 
failure conditions applicable to powerplant systems; and make warning 
requirements compatible with other regulations; and delete paragraph 
(c) and (d).
     Add a new Sec. 23.1310, Power Source Capacity and 
Distribution from existing paragraphs 23.1309 (c) and (d).
     Revise Sec. 23.1311 to address redundancy requirements for 
primary flight instruments; define ``indicator'', the sensory cue 
requirements in paragraph (a)(6), and delete the redundancy requirement 
in paragraph (b).
     Review and revise Secs. 23.1326(b)(1) and 23.1322 
requiring the amber light to be illuminated when the pitot tube heater 
is ``off''.
     Review and revise Sec. 23.1311 to call out required flight 
instruments as indicated in Secs. 23.1303 and 91.205.
    Schedule: The draft NPRM is to be submitted no later than December 
31, 2002.

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    ARAC accepted the task and assigned the task to the newly formed 
Part 23 Electrical Systems Harmonization Working Group, General 
Aviation Certification and Operations Issues. The working group serves 
as staff to ARAC and assists in the analysis of the assigned tasks. 
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. Recommendations that are received from ARAC will be 
submitted to the agency's Rulemaking Management Council to address the 
availability of resources and prioritization.

Working Group Activity

    The part 23 Electrical Systems Harmonization Working Group is 
expected to comply with the procedures

[[Page 44202]]

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 general aviation certification and operations 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 the appropriate documents, required analyses, and any 
other related materials or documents.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of the ARAC held to 
consider general aviation certification and operations issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The part 23 Electrical Systems 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 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. We must receive 
all requests by September 7, 2001. The co-assistant chairs, the co-
assistant executive directors, and the working group chairs will review 
the requests. We will advise individuals whether or not we can 
accommodate their request.
    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 requested to do so, etc.). We also expect them to 
devote the resources necessary to support the working group in meeting 
any assigned deadlines. Members must keep their management chain and 
those they 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 co-assistant chairs, 
the co-assistant executive directors, and the working group 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 are open to the public. Meetings of the part 
23 Electrical Systems Harmonization Working Group are not open to the 
public, except to the extent that individuals with an interest and 
expertise are selected to participate. The FAA makes no public 
announcement of working group meetings.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 16, 2001.
Anthony F. Fazio,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 01-21172 Filed 8-21-01; 8:45 am]
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