[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6790-6792]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3274]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

[Docket No. FAA-2003-14374]


Rotor Manufacturing Induced Anomaly Database

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed order designating voluntarily submitted 
information as protected from disclosure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FAA proposes to designate the information and data 
submitted to them to create the Rotor Manufacturing Induced Anomaly 
Database (known as the ``ROMAN Database'') as protected from disclosure 
under 14 CFR part 193. This proposed designation would require the FAA 
to protect the information from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and other laws. The FAA wants to 
encourage production approval

[[Page 6791]]

holders and suppliers that manufacture high energy rotating gas turbine 
engine components to voluntarily submit information for inclusion into 
the ROMAN database.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before March 13, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver all comments on the proposed Order to: 
Docket Management System (DMS), US Department of Transportation, Plaza 
Level Room 401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Kerman, Aviation Safety Inspector-
Manufacturing Process Specialist, Manufacturing Inspection Office, ANE-
180, Engine and Propeller Directorate, Federal Aviation Administration, 
New England Region, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA 
01802, telephone 781-238-7195; fax (781) 238-7898.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed Order 
listed in this notice by submitting such written data, views, or 
arguments as they desire to the Docket Management System (DMS), US 
Department of Transportation, Plaza Level Room 401, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW., Washington, DC 20590-0001. You should submit two copies of your 
comments, identifying the docket number ``FAA-2003-14374'' at the 
beginning of your comments. If you wish to receive confirmation that 
your comments were received, include a stamped, self-addressed postcard 
with your comments. Comments may also be submitted through the DMS 
Internet address at http://dms.dot.gov.
    Comments received on the proposed Order may be examined, before and 
after the comment closing date, in person, in the Docket Office between 
9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The 
Docket Office is on the Plaza Level of the NASSIF Building, Department 
of Transportation at the above address. Comments received may also be 
examined on the Internet at http://dms.dot.gov. The Associate 
Administrator for Regulation and Certification will consider all 
comments received on or before the closing date before issuing the 
final Order.

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 40123, Congress authorized the FAA to establish 
rules that it could designate as protected from disclosure to the 
public certain voluntarily provided safety and security information. In 
so doing, Congress sought to encourage persons with knowledge of safety 
and security issues to voluntarily provide that information and data to 
the FAA. The aviation industry had expressed reluctance to voluntarily 
provide the FAA with safety and security information out of concern 
that the agency would be forced to make those submissions public in 
response to requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 
(5 U.S.C. 552) and other laws.
    In 14 CFR part 193 (66 FR 33792, June 25, 2001) the FAA established 
the requirements for designating as protected from mandatory disclosure 
certain voluntarily submitted information. Before the information can 
be protected from disclosure however, the FAA must issue an order 
finding that the information meets the criteria established in 14 CFR 
part 193. Once the FAA issues an order designating information as 
protected under 14 CFR part 193, that information will not be disclosed 
in response to requests made under the FOIA or other laws except as 
provided for in 14 CFR 193.9. Thus, this proposed order is issued under 
the provisions of 14 CFR 193.11, which sets out the ``notice 
procedure'' for designating information as protected.

Description of the Information Sharing Program

    The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) established an 
international team of representatives from production approval holders 
(PAHs), and companies, that supply critical rotating parts to those 
PAHs to investigate the causal factors that have led to manufacturing 
induced anomalies in high energy rotating parts of commercial jet 
engines. The team's charter is to develop a database containing 
manufacturing induced anomalies in critical rotating parts for aircraft 
engines, including information on design data that could impact the 
life-limits of those parts.
    Rotating parts, such as disks, in aircraft engines are exposed to 
extreme temperatures, pressures, and rotational forces. Under those 
conditions, any anomaly in the material matrix of the part could serve 
as a site for a crack to initiate. Rotating parts failures resulting 
from cracks originating from such anomalies have in the past caused 
aircraft accidents resulting in substantial damage and loss of life. 
With this database, the team's hopes are to outline recommendations for 
establishing best manufacturing practices for the fabrication of high-
energy rotating engine components. This knowledge will also enable the 
entire engine industry to identify the precursors to unsafe conditions 
and to react appropriately in a safe and timely fashion. The report may 
also be used as a means of identifying shortfalls in existing FAA 
rules, standards, and policies regarding aircraft engine production and 
design approvals and for the continuing airworthiness oversight of 
engine designs currently in service.
    The FAA supports this effort as part of the Safer Skies Program, 
and has agreed to serve as the clearinghouse for the database 
information submitted by PAHs and suppliers. If implemented, the ROMAN 
database would be created in a double blind format from data submitted 
by engine PAHs and suppliers consisting of a very sensitive and 
proprietary nature. PAHs and suppliers will not share this data with 
the FAA voluntarily, unless each submitter can do so anonymously, and 
has assurances that the data they submit would not be disclosed to the 
public, or to other submitters. With this data, it would be possible 
for the FAA to identify trends by analyzing adverse experiences on a 
fleet-wide basis. Such comparisons are not possible today because there 
are no participants willing to share such sensitive data with other 
members of industry, or the FAA, without assurances of protection from 
disclosure. However, the team members are willing to submit in a de-
identified form, to allow the FAA and others on the team access to the 
data, only if the FAA provides assurances that the data will be 
protected from disclosure to the public. The proposed order protecting 
the submitted data under 14 CFR part 193 will provide those assurances. 
By compiling all submissions into a single database, each participant 
would benefit from defining best manufacturing practices, identifying 
adverse trends, and improved production efficiency. The flying public 
would benefit from improved reliability of aircraft engines and a 
reduction of the severity of the consequences of anomalies regarding 
integrity of the engine by, for example, the implementation of damage 
tolerance design methodologies.
    The data will be submitted to the FAA anonymously by the 
participants. These submissions, initially, will include historical 
data from past years. In the future, the updating of the database will 
include only recently derived data. The FAA will secure a contractor 
that will input the data into a computerized database, and that 
database will be available for review by the participants and the FAA 
for establishing industry wide cause and corrective action. The 
computer database will be double blind and thus will not include the 
names of

[[Page 6792]]

the participants. The FAA anticipates that in many cases the 
participants will use the information to identify and carry out 
improvements in their production and design techniques without the FAA 
requiring such action. When appropriate, the FAA will change its 
policies, standards, and rules to implement improvements based on this 
data.

Summary of the ROMAN Database Voluntary Information Sharing Program

    (1) Who would participate: Production approval holders (PAHs) for 
aircraft engines and aircraft engine components, and suppliers of 
rotating parts to those PAHs who are members of the Rotor Manufacturing 
(ROMAN) team.
    (2) What voluntarily provided information would be protected from 
disclosure under this proposed designation: Information on 
manufacturing-induced anomalies, including material attributes and 
debits, as well as root causes and corrective actions. This information 
would be provided for those manufacturing anomalies that would impact 
the integrity of critical rotating parts in aircraft engines.
    (3) How persons would participate: Participation would be through 
the ROMAN team. Those manufacturers, PAHs, and suppliers of rotating 
parts will submit their information to a private contractor for 
inclusion into, and management of the ROMAN database.
    (4) Duration of this information sharing program: This program 
would continue in effect until withdrawn by the FAA.

Proposed Findings Under 14 CFR Part 193

    (1) The information will be provided voluntarily. The FAA finds 
that the information will be provided voluntarily, and any participant 
may withdraw from the program at any time. Note that the information 
provided by the participants is beyond the scope of that required by 
the type certification mandatory reporting rules, and that the 
participants may withdraw from the program at any time. The ROMAN 
database will provide PAHs and suppliers of critical rotating parts 
with an opportunity to benefit from each other's adverse experiences 
and lessons learned that is not available without the protection of 14 
CFR part 193. The identification of trends and the establishment of the 
shortfalls with the base manufacturing processes as a result of the 
ROMAN database will provide economic benefit to the submitters.
    (2) The information is safety or security related. The FAA finds 
that the information is safety related. The ROMAN database will contain 
comprehensive information on manufacturing-induced anomalies on 
critical rotating engine components. These anomalies are of the kind 
that has been known to initiate disk fracture and fatigue failure 
resulting in aircraft accidents. Also, important background information 
will be used to relate those anomalies to specific manufacturing 
methods and materials. The database will be instrumental in identifying 
manufacturing process and material shortfalls that will assist the 
industry and the FAA in improving the integrity and safety of rotating 
parts of jet engines.
    (3) The disclosure of the information would inhibit the voluntary 
provisions of that type of information. The FAA finds that the 
disclosure of the information would inhibit persons from voluntarily 
providing of that type of information. The information submitted for 
the ROMAN database would be highly sensitive and commercially valuable 
information. One of the reasons why such a database does not already 
exist is the reluctance of each participant to share its data and 
lessons learned with the FAA as well as each other without the 
assurances of protection from public disclosure.
    (4) The receipt of this type of information aids in fulfilling the 
FAA's safety and security responsibilities. The receipt of information 
for the ROMAN database will aid the FAA in improving overall engine 
rotor integrity and decreasing the occurrence and severity of engine 
rotor failures. Reducing the number of aircraft accidents attributable 
to the failure of rotating parts in engines is an important part of the 
FAA's Safer Skies Program. The ROMAN database provides a way to 
identify manufacturing tends and precursors before they result in 
anomalies that might cause rotating part failures and aircraft 
accidents.
    (5) Withholding such information from disclosure, under the 
circumstances provided in this part, is consistent with the FAA's 
safety and security responsibilities. Withholding the information 
submitted to the FAA to form the ROMAN database from public disclosure 
is consistent with the FAA's safety responsibilities. The ROMAN 
database will provide a key method to improving safety in air commerce 
by identifying manufacturing trends that may contribute to the presence 
of anomalies in the rotating parts in aircraft engines that could 
potentially cause the part to fail. Identifying these trends will lead 
to improve manufacturing processes as well as design practices to 
eliminate and account for the anomalies in future production and the 
removal of parts already in service from the actual failure occurs.
    The FAA will withhold and release information submitted under this 
program as specified in 14 CFR 193.9 and 193.11.
    The FAA may release activity reports that include the number of 
PAHs and suppliers who are participating and the number of 
manufacturing trends identified as a result. Activity reports will not 
include the names of the PAH's and suppliers who participate, or 
numbers or details of the anomalies that have been disclosed under this 
program.
    (6) Summary of how the FAA will distinguish information protected 
under this program from information the FAA receives from other 
sources. The FAA routinely receives data and information from aircraft 
engine PAHs as part of its regulatory oversight of approved engine 
designs. The data received from the ROMAN database will be maintained 
separately by having the ROMAN database managed by a contractor. The 
ROMAN database will include only information received under this 
program. Information that is received under this program, and reports 
generated from the ROMAN database, will be clearly marked as having 
been received under this program as follows:

``WARNING: The Information in this Document Is Protected from 
Disclosure under 14 CFR part 193. This Information May Not Be Released 
Except With Written Permission of the Associate Administrator for 
Regulation and Certification''

Proposed Designation

    Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration hereby proposes to 
designate the information submitted under this program to be protected 
under 49 U.S.C. 40123 and 14 CFR part 193.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 40123; and 14 CFR part 193.

    Dated: Issued in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2003.
Nicholas A. Sabatini,
Associate Administrator for Regulation and Certification.
[FR Doc. 03-3274 Filed 2-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M