[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 42 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9799-9800]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-5115]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Aging Transport Systems Rulemaking Advisory Committee

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of a new working group for the aging Transport Systems 
Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

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SUMMARY: This action gives notice of the formation of a new 
harmonization working group to assist the Aging Transport Systems 
Rulemaking Advisory Committee with investigating and developing 
recommendations to enhance the safety of electrical wiring systems in 
small transport airplanes.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Huber, Manager, Airplane and 
Flight Crew Interface Branch, ANM-111, Executive Director of ATSRAC, 
Federal Aviation Administration, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, WA 
98055; telephone (425) 227-2589 or fax (425) 227-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In response to the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and 
Security, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) formed the Aging 
Non-Structural Systems Study Team, which developed the FAA's approach 
to

[[Page 9800]]

improving the management of aging wire systems. To assist in fulfilling 
the actions specified in the Aging Non-Structural Systems Plan, the FAA 
established an Aging Transport Systems Rulemaking Advisory Committee 
(ATSRAC) to provide advice and recommendations to the FAA 
Administrator, through the Associate Administrator for Regulation and 
Certification, on airplane system safety issues like aging wire 
systems. The FAA initially tasked ATSRAC in 1998 with the following 
five tasks, with the goal of developing recommendations to enhance 
airplane electrical wiring systems:
    1. Collect data on aging wiring systems through airplane 
inspections.
    2. Review airplane manufacturer's service information.
    3. Review operators' maintenance programs.
    4. Review manufacturers' Standard Practices for Wiring.
    5. Review air carrier and repair station training programs.
    It is important to note that the results from the initial taskings 
indicate that problems associated with systems on aging airplanes are 
not completely related to the degradation over time of wire systems. 
Inadequate installation and maintenance practices can lead to what is 
commonly referred to as an ``aging system'' problem. As such, the scope 
of the ATSRAC is not limited solely to age-related issues but includes 
improving the continued airworthiness of airplane systems, and, in 
particular, electrical wire systems.
    In 2001, the FAA tasked the ATSRAC with four new tasks to 
facilitate the implementation of the recommendations, which were 
primarily based on the review of data related to large transport 
airplanes, from the initial five tasks. To help develop its reports in 
response to the new tasks, the ATSRAC established four harmonization 
working groups.
    This notice informs the public of the formation of one additional 
ATSRAC harmonization working group, the Small Transport Airplane 
Harmonization Working Group. The ATSRAC has chosen to establish a new 
harmonization working group to provide technical support in developing 
its recommendations to the FAA. This group will establish working 
methods to ensure coordination among the four existing groups and 
coordination with working groups established by the Aviation Rulemkaing 
Advisory Committee. This coordination is required to ensure efficient 
use of resources, continuity in related decisions, and the reduction of 
duplication of effort.

New Harmonization Working Group and Assigned Tasks

    The Small Transport Airplane Harmonization Working Group should be 
comprised of persons who have expertise in small aircraft (i.e., 
aircraft with 6-30 passenger seats and a maximum payload capacity of 
7,500 pounds or less) design, maintenance, or operations. The group 
will--
    1. Investigate the applicability of previous ATSRAC recommendations 
to small transport airplane electrical wire systems; and
    2. Identify issues unique to these systems and recommend 
appropriate actions based on results from--
     Performing a sample inspection of in-service and retired 
small transport airplanes that correlate to the inspection previously 
performed under the original task 1 and task 2 of the ATSRAC;
     Reviewing fleet-service history to identify trends or 
areas for actions; and
     Coordinating with other ATSRAC Harmonization Working 
Groups to ensure that the ATSRAC reports to the FAA consider the needs 
of small transport airplanes.
    The working group will serve as staff to the ATSRAC to assist the 
Committee in writing technical reports that will allow the FAA to 
complete its development of associated rulemaking language and advisory 
material. Working group documents will be reviewed, deliberated, and 
approved by the ATSRAC. If the ATSRAC accepts the working group's 
documents, the Committee will forward them to the FAA as ATSRAC 
recommendations.
    In addition to coordinating with other working groups, the Small 
Transport Airplane Harmonization Working Group should coordinate with 
various organizations and specialists, as appropriate. And, if the 
group identifies a need for new working groups, when existing groups do 
not have the appropriate expertise to address certain tasks, it should 
inform the Committee.

Working Group Activity

    The working group is expected to comply with the procedures adopted 
by ATSRAC. 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 by the ATSRAC, 
following the establishment and selection of the working group.
    2. Give a detailed conceptual presentation of proposed 
recommendations prior to proceeding with the work stated in item 3 
below.
    3. Draft a report and/or any other collateral documents the working 
group determines to be appropriate and submit them to the ATSRAC for 
review and approval by January 2003.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of the ATSRAC.

Participation in the Working Group

    The working group will be composed of experts having an interest in 
the assigned tasks. Participants in the working group should be 
prepared to devote a significant portion of their time to the ATSRAC 
task through January 2003. A working group member need not be a 
representative or a member of the ATSRAC.
    An individual who has expertise in the subject matter and who 
wishes to become a member of the Small Transport Airplane Harmonization 
Working Group should contact: Charles Huber (see For Further 
Information Contact section of this notice), expressing that desire, 
describing his or her interest in the tasks, and stating the expertise 
he or she would bring to the working group. All requests to participate 
must be received no later than (30 days following publication of this 
notice). The ATSRAC Chair, the Executive Director, and the working 
group Co-Chairs will review the requests, and the individuals will be 
advised whether or not their requests can be accommodated.
    The Secretary of Transportation has determined that the formation 
and use of ATSRAC are necessary and in the public interest in 
connection with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    Meetings of the ATSRAC will be open to the public. Meetings of the 
individual working groups will not be open to the public, except to the 
extent those 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 February 25, 2002.
Anthony F. Fazio,
Director, Office of Rulemaking.
[FR Doc. 02-5115 Filed 3-1-02; 8:45 am]
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