[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 216 (Wednesday, November 7, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56367-56368]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-27997]


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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 review the adequacy of the standards and advisory materials 
regarding bird ingestion requirements and determine whether they 
establish a minimum standard of safety. This notice is to inform the 
public of this ARAC activity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marc Bouthillier, Federal Aviation 
Administration, New England Region Headquarters, Engine and Propeller 
Standards Staff, ANE-110, 12 New

[[Page 56368]]

England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 01803, (781) 238-7120, 
facsimile: (781) 238-7199, [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

     Review and assess the adequacy of the standards and 
advisory material for Sec. 33.76 bird ingestion requirements to 
determine whether they establish an appropriate minimum standard of 
safety as required by the Federal Aviation Act. The assessment should 
define the current bird threat, include an evaluation of trends, and 
consider any reasonable predictable changes to the current threat. ARAC 
should take into account any changes in the threat resulting from 
increased population of a particular bird species, actions intended to 
control populations around airports, and flight-crew training for 
flocking-bird recognition and avoidance.
     Develop a report on the review and, depending upon the 
results of the review, recommend regulatory language to Sec. 33.76, 
corresponding JAR-E540/800, and related advisory material to address 
any inadequacies identified in the rule or related advisory material. 
Reconsider whether the basic design of the recent rule is adequate 
relative to its stated safety objective, reconsider flocking birds 
greater than 2.5 pounds, and reconsider high-speed aircraft operations 
at low altitudes relative to the identified bird ingestion threats.
     If appropriate, recommend changes to the recent rules and 
related advisory material. The recommendation should include ARAC's 
response to the economic questions attached to this tasking record.
     Identify and provide recommendations to the FAA and JAA 
for areas of study, other than engine certification requirements, where 
potential exists to significantly mitigate risks associated with engine 
bird ingestion.
     If as a result of the recommendations, the FAA publishes 
an NPRM and/or notice of availability of draft advisory circular for 
public comment, the FAA may ask ARAC to review selected comments or all 
comments, as specified at that time by the FAA, and provide the agency 
with a recommendation for the disposition of those comments.
     Consider defining an industry-level management plan for 
periodic update and review of the bird ingestion database so as to 
maintain an awareness of the bird threat in service.
    Schedule: Required completion date is August 2002.

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    ARAC accepted the task and assigned the task to the Engine 
Harmonization Working Group, Transport Airplane and Engine Issues. The 
working group serves as staff to ARAC and assists in the analysis of 
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.

Working Group Activity

    The Engine Harmonization Working Group must comply with the 
procedures adopted by ARAC. As part of the procedures, the working 
group must:
    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 item 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 Engine 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.
    Any individual who has expertise in the subject area and wants 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 December 7, 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 on 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 support the working group 
in meeting any assigned deadlines. Members must 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 are open to the public. Meetings of the Engine 
Harmonization Working Group will not be open to the public, except to 
the extent those 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 October 30, 2001.
Anthony F. Fazio,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 01-27997 Filed 11-6-01; 8:45 am]
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