[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 61 (Monday, March 31, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 15339-15343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7667]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM231; Special Conditions No. 25-216-SC-A]


Special Conditions: Boeing Model 777-200 Series Airplanes; 
Overhead Crew Rest Compartments

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Amended final special conditions.

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SUMMARY: These amended special conditions are issued for Boeing Model 
777-200 series airplanes. Final special conditions; request for 
comments, No. 25-216-SC were issued on October 3, 2002, addressing this 
installation. Comments were received and these amended special 
conditions address those comments. These airplanes, modified by Flight 
Structures Inc., will have a novel or unusual design feature associated 
with the installation of an overhead flight crew rest compartment. The 
applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These amended 
special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the 
Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety 
equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

DATES: The effective date of these amended special conditions is March 
20, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe/Cabin 
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington, 98055-
4056; telephone (425) 227-2195; facsimile (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On September 17, 2001, Flight Structures Inc., 4407 172 Street NE, 
Arlington, Washington, 98223, applied for a supplemental type 
certificate (STC) for installation of a Door 1 overhead flightcrew rest 
(OFCR) compartment in Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes. The 
certification of the Alitalia Model 777-200 overhead crew rest was 
scheduled for October 9, 2002. The Boeing Model 777-200 series 
airplanes are large twin engine airplanes with various passenger 
capacities and ranges depending upon airplane configuration.
    The OFCR compartment, adjacent to Door 1, is located in the 
overhead above the main passenger cabin and will include a maximum of 
two private berths, two seats, and a lavatory. Occupancy of the OFCR 
compartment will be limited to a maximum of four occupants.
    The OFCR will be accessed from the main deck by stairs. In 
addition, an emergency hatch that opens directly into the main 
passenger cabin area will be provided for the compartment. A smoke 
detection system, an oxygen system, and occupant amenities will also be 
provided. This compartment will only be occupied in flight; occupancy 
is prohibited during taxi, takeoff, or landing.
    Compliance with these special conditions does not relieve the 
applicant from the existing airplane certification basis requirements. 
One particular area of concern is that the OFCR installation creates a 
smaller compartment volume within the overhead area of the airplane. 
The applicant must comply with the requirements of Sec. Sec.  
25.365(e), (f), and (g), for the overhead area compartment, as well as 
any other airplane compartments whose decompression characteristics are 
affected by the installation of a crew rest compartment. Compliance 
with Sec.  25.831 must be demonstrated for all phases of flight where 
occupants will be present.
    The FAA considers OFCR compartment smoke or fire detection and fire 
suppression systems (including airflow management features that prevent 
hazardous quantities of smoke or fire extinguishing agent from entering 
any other compartment occupied by crewmembers or passengers) complex 
with respect to paragraph 6d of Advisory Circular (AC) 25.1309-1A, 
``System Design and Analysis.'' In addition, the FAA considers failure 
of the crew rest compartment fire protection system (i.e., smoke or 
fire detection and fire suppression systems) in conjunction with a crew 
rest fire to be a catastrophic event. Based on the ``Depth of Analysis 
Flowchart'' shown in Figure 2 of AC 25.1309-1A, the depth of analysis 
should include both qualitative and quantitative assessments (reference 
paragraphs 8d, 9, and 10 of AC 25.1309-1A). In addition, it should be 
noted that flammable fluids, explosives, or other dangerous cargo are 
prohibited from being carried in the crew rest area.
    The requirements to enable crewmember(s) quick entry to the crew 
rest compartment and to locate a fire source inherently places limits 
on the amount of baggage that may be carried and the size of the crew 
rest area. The FAA notes that the crew rest area is limited to stowage 
of crew personal luggage and it is not intended to be used for the 
stowage of cargo or passenger baggage. The design of such a system to 
include cargo or passenger baggage would require additional 
requirements to ensure safe operation.
    The addition of galley equipment or a kitchenette incorporating a 
cook top or other heat source, or a stowage compartment greater than or 
equal to 25 ft \3\, into the crew rest compartment may require further 
special conditions to be considered.
    Amendment 25-38 modified the requirements of Sec.  25.1439(a) by 
adding, ``In addition, protective breathing equipment must be installed 
in each isolated separate compartment in the airplane, including upper 
and lower lobe galleys, in which crewmember occupancy is permitted 
during flight for the maximum number of crewmembers expected to be in 
the area during any operation.'' The requirements of Sec.  25.1439(a) 
apply to the OFCR compartment, which is an isolated separate 
compartment. However, the PBE requirements for isolated separate 
compartments of Sec.  25.1439(a) are not appropriate because the OFCR 
compartment is novel and unusual in terms of the number of occupants. 
In 1976 when amendment 25-38 was adopted, small galleys were the only 
isolated compartments that had been certificated. A maximum of two 
crewmembers were expected to occupy those galleys. Special Condition 
No. 9 addresses crew rest compartments that can accommodate up to four 
crewmembers. This large number of occupants in an isolated compartment 
was not envisioned at the time amendment 25-38 was adopted. It is not 
appropriate for all occupants to don PBE in the event of a fire because 
the first action should be to leave the confined space unless the 
occupant is fighting the fire. Taking the time to don the PBE would 
prolong the time for the emergency evacuation of the occupants and 
possibly interfere with efforts to extinguish the fire.

[[Page 15340]]

Operational Evaluations and Approval

    These special conditions outline requirements for OFCR compartment 
design approvals (i.e. type design changes and supplemental type 
certificates) administered by the FAA's Aircraft Certification Service. 
Prior to operational use of an OFCR compartment, the FAA's Flight 
Standards Service must evaluate and approve the ``basic suitability'' 
of the OFCR compartment for crew occupation. Additionally, if an 
operator wishes to utilize a flightcrew rest area as ``sleeping 
quarters,'' the crew rest area must undergo an additional evaluation 
and approval (Reference Sec. Sec.  121.485(a), 121.523(b) and 
135.269(b)(5)). Compliance with these special conditions does not 
ensure that the requirements of part 121 or part 135 have been 
demonstrated.
    In order to obtain an operational evaluation, the type design 
holder must contact the Aircraft Evaluation Group (AEG) in the Flight 
Standards Service and request a ``basic suitability'' evaluation or a 
``sleeping quarters'' evaluation of their crew rest. The results of 
these evaluations must be documented in a 777 Flight Standardization 
Board (FSB) Report Appendix. Individual operators may then reference 
these standardized evaluations in discussions with their FAA Principal 
Operating Inspector (POI) as the basis for an operational approval, in 
lieu of an on-site operational evaluation.
    Any changes to the approved OFCR compartment configuration that 
effect crewmember emergency egress or any other procedures affecting 
the safety of the occupying crewmembers and/or related training shall 
require a re-evaluation and approval. The applicant for a crew rest 
design change that affects egress, safety procedures, or training is 
responsible for notifying the FAA's AEG that a new crew rest evaluation 
is required.
    Procedures must be developed to assure that a crewmember entering 
the OFCR through the vestibule to fight a fire will examine the 
vestibule and the lavatory areas for the source of the fire prior to 
entering the remaining areas of the crew rest compartment. These 
procedures are intended to assure that the source of the fire is not 
between the crewmember and the primary exit.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Sec.  21.101, Amendment 21-69, effective 
September 16, 1991, Flight Structures Inc., must show that the Boeing 
Model 777-200, as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions 
of the regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate Data 
Sheet No. T00001SE or the applicable regulations in effect on the date 
of application for the change. Subsequent changes have been made to 
Sec.  21.101 as part of Amendment 21-77, but those changes do not 
become effective until June 10, 2003. The regulations incorporated by 
reference in the type certificate are commonly referred to as the 
``original type certification basis.'' The regulations incorporated by 
reference in Type Certificate No. T00001SE for the Boeing Model 777-200 
series airplanes include 14 CFR part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 
through 25-82. The U.S. type certification bases for the Boeing Model 
777-200 series airplanes is established in accordance with 14 CFR 21.17 
and 21.29 and the type certification application date. The type 
certification basis is listed in Type Certificate Data Sheet No. 
T00001SE.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the Boeing Model 777-200 series 
airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special 
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec.  21.16.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes must comply with the 
fuel vent and exhaust emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the 
noise certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36.
    Special conditions, as defined in Sec.  11.19, are issued in 
accordance with Sec.  11.38 and become part of the type certification 
basis in accordance with Sec.  21.101(b)(2), Amendment 21-69, effective 
September 16, 1991.
    Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which 
they are issued. Should the applicant apply for a supplemental type 
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type 
certificate to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, 
the special conditions would also apply to the other model under the 
provisions of Sec.  21.101(a)(1), Amendment 21-69, effective September 
16, 1991.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    While the installation of a crew rest compartment is not a new 
concept for large transport category airplanes, each compartment design 
has unique features by virtue of its design, location, and use on the 
airplane. Previously, crew rest compartments have been evaluated that 
are installed within the main passenger compartment area of the Boeing 
Model 777-200 and Model 777-300 series airplanes and the overhead area 
of the passenger compartment of the 777-200. Other crew rest 
compartments have been installed below the passenger cabin area, 
adjacent to the cargo compartment. Similar overhead crew rest 
compartments have also been installed on the Boeing Model 747 airplane. 
The interfaces of the modification are evaluated within the interior 
and assessed in accordance with the certification basis of the 
airplane. However, part 25 does not provide all the requirements for 
crew rest compartments within the overhead area of the passenger 
compartment. Further, these special conditions do not negate the need 
to address other applicable part 25 regulations.
    Due to the novel or unusual features associated with the 
installation of this crew rest compartment, special conditions are 
considered necessary to provide a level of safety equal to that 
established by the airworthiness regulations incorporated by reference 
in the type certificate.

Prior Comment

    During a previous publication of the substantially identical 
special conditions a comment was received after the comment period had 
closed. The commenter thought requiring placards prohibiting storage of 
``hazardous quantities of flammable fluids'' was unnecessary and a 
duplication of International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous 
Goods Regulations, specially, ``Provisions for Dangerous Goods Carried 
by Passengers or Crew.'' The FAA concurs with the commenter that the 
placard requirement is similar to the IATA requirement, therefore, the 
requirement for the placard has been removed.

Discussion of Comments Received on Special Conditions No. 25-216-SC

    Notice of final special conditions; request for comments, No. 25-
216-SC, for the Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes was published in 
the Federal Register on October 11, 2002 (67 FR 63250). Two commenters 
responded to the notice.
    The first commenter requests that Special Condition No. 2 be 
revised to include the wording ``if the open panel would impede 
evacuation from the main deck.'' This comment was not incorporated 
because the FAA finds that the current statement adequately states the 
objectives of the requirement.
    This commenter also requests that Special Condition No. 8 be 
revised to

[[Page 15341]]

add the statement ``Consideration can be given to bunks, walls, 
partitions, etc. that can be utilized to brace oneself during 
turbulence.'' This comment was not incorporated because the suggested 
statement would be considered a method of compliance. The FAA finds 
that the current statement adequately states the objectives of the 
requirement.
    This commenter has a third comment requesting that Special 
Condition No. 14(d) be revised to include the phrase, ``except for 
curtained bunks.'' The FAA agrees and has incorporated the phrase into 
Special Condition No. 14(d) as it helps clarify the intent of the 
requirement.
    Finally, the first commenter requests the addition of a special 
condition dealing with the size and fire protection of stowage 
compartments. This project is a one-only Supplemental Type Certificate 
(STC) and as such has limited application and is adequately covered by 
the existing regulations. Also, all future STC projects will encompass 
this requirement in some form. Therefore this comment was not 
incorporated.
    The second commenter requested that Special Condition No. 1 be 
revised as follows: 1: The occupancy of the overhead crew rest 
compartment is limited to the total number of installed bunks and seats 
in each compartment. There must be an approved seat or berth able to 
withstand the maximum flight loads when occupied for each occupant 
permitted in the overhead crew rest compartment. When being used for 
required flightcrew rest, the maximum occupancy of the OFCR [overhead 
flight crew rest] compartment is two. The maximum occupancy in the OFAR 
[overhead flight attendant rest] is twelve.'' This comment was not 
incorporated. The distinction between an OFCR and an OFAR based on the 
phase of flight is an operational issue and outside the scope of these 
special conditions. This issue should be addressed as described earlier 
in the preamble under the heading, ``Operational Evaluations and 
Approval.''
    The next comment deals with occupying the crewrest during taxi, 
takeoff, and landing. These special conditions do not cover occupancy 
during taxi, takeoff, and landing, therefore, this comment was not 
incorporated.
    The second commenter's final comment encompasses both Special 
Conditions No. 6 and 7. The commenter views the OFCR as being an 
extension of the flightdeck. Except for purely emergency notifications, 
all communications to the OFCR should come from the flightdeck. The FAA 
concurs, and this comment was incorporated into Special Condition No. 6 
to include provisions to provide only the relevant information to the 
flight crewmembers in the overhead crew rest. Special Condition No. 7 
remains unchanged.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Model 777-200 series airplanes. Should Flight Structures Inc., apply at 
a later date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other 
model included on Type Certificate Data Sheet No. T00001SE to 
incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, these special 
conditions would apply to that model as well under the provisions of 
Sec.  21.101(a)(1) Amendment 21-69, effective September 16, 1991.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

0
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.

The Special Conditions

0
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of 
the type certification basis for Boeing Model 777-200 series airplanes, 
modified by Flight Structures Inc., with an overhead flightcrew rest 
(OFCR) compartment.
    1. Occupancy of the OFCR compartment is limited to the total number 
of installed bunks and seats in each compartment. There must be an 
approved seat or berth able to withstand the maximum flight loads when 
occupied for each occupant permitted in the OFCR compartment. The 
maximum occupancy is four in the OFCR compartment.
    (a) There must be appropriate placards, inside and outside each 
entrance to the OFCR compartment to indicate:
    (1) The maximum number of occupants allowed,
    (2) That occupancy is restricted to crewmembers that are trained in 
the evacuation procedures for the OFCR compartment,
    (3) That occupancy is prohibited during taxi, take-off and landing, 
and
    (4) That smoking is prohibited in the OFCR compartment.
    (b) There must be at least one ashtray on the inside and outside of 
any entrance to the OFCR compartment.
    (c) There must be a means to prevent passengers from entering the 
OFCR compartment in the event of an emergency or when no flight 
attendant is present.
    (d) There must be a means for any door installed between the OFCR 
compartment and passenger cabin to be capable of being quickly opened 
from inside the compartment, even when crowding occurs at each side of 
the door.
    (e) For all doors installed, there must be a means to preclude 
anyone from being trapped inside the OFCR compartment. If a locking 
mechanism is installed, it must be capable of being unlocked from the 
outside without the aid of special tools. The lock must not prevent 
opening from the inside of the compartment at any time.
    2. There must be at least two emergency evacuation routes, which 
could be used by each occupant of the OFCR compartment to rapidly 
evacuate to the main cabin and be able to be closed from the main 
passenger cabin after evacuation. In addition--
    (a) The routes must be located with sufficient separation within 
the OFCR compartment, and between the evacuation routes, to minimize 
the possibility of an event rendering both routes inoperative.
    (b) The routes must be designed to minimize the possibility of 
blockage, which might result from fire, mechanical or structural 
failure, or persons standing below or against the escape route. One of 
the two evacuation routes should not be located where, during times in 
which occupancy is allowed, normal movement by passengers occurs (i.e. 
main aisle, cross aisle or galley complex) that would impede egress of 
the OFCR compartment. If an evacuation route utilizes an area where 
normal movement of passengers occurs, it must be demonstrated that 
passengers would not impede egress to the main deck. If there is low 
headroom at or near the evacuation route, provisions must be made to 
prevent or to protect occupants (of the OFCR area) from head injury. 
The use of evacuation routes must not be dependent on any powered 
device. If the evacuation path is over an area where there are 
passenger seats, a maximum of one row of passengers may be displaced 
from their seats temporarily during the evacuation process of an 
incapacitated person(s). If the evacuation procedure involves the 
evacuee stepping on seats, the seats must not be damaged to the extent 
that they would not be acceptable for occupancy during an emergency 
landing.

[[Page 15342]]

    (c) Emergency evacuation procedures and the emergency evacuation of 
incapacitated occupant procedures must be established and transmitted 
to the operator for incorporation into their training programs and 
appropriate operational manuals. If the evacuation path is over an area 
where there are passenger seats, a maximum of one row of passengers may 
be displaced from their seats temporarily during the evacuation 
process.
    (d) There must be a limitation in the Airplane Flight Manual or 
other suitable means requiring that crewmembers be trained in the use 
of evacuation routes.
    3. There must be a means for the evacuation of an incapacitated 
person (representative of a ninety-fifth percentile male) from the OFCR 
compartment to the passenger cabin floor.
    (a) The evacuation must be demonstrated for all evacuation routes. 
A flight crewmember or other crewmember (a total of one assistant 
within the OFCR area) may provide assistance in the evacuation. 
Additional assistance may be provided by up to three persons in the 
main passenger compartment. These additional assistants must be 
standing on the floor while providing assistance. For evacuation routes 
having stairways, the additional assistants may ascend up to one half 
the elevation change from the main deck to the OFCR compartment, or to 
the first landing, whichever is lower.
    (b) Procedures for the evacuation of an incapacitated person from 
the OFCR compartment must be established.
    4. The following signs and placards must be provided in the OFCR 
compartment:
    (a) At least one exit sign, located near each exit, meeting the 
requirements of Sec.  25.812(b)(1)(i), except that a sign of reduced 
background area with no less than 5.3 square inches (excluding the 
letters) may be utilized, provided that it is installed such that the 
material surrounding the exit sign is light in color (e.g. white, 
cream, light beige). If the material surrounding the exit sign is not 
light in color, a sign with a minimum of a one-inch wide background 
border around the letters would also be acceptable.
    (b) An appropriate placard located near each exit defining the 
location and the operating instructions for each evacuation route.
    (c) Placards must be readable from a distance of 30 inches under 
emergency lighting conditions.
    (d) The exit handles and evacuation path operating instruction 
placards must be illuminated to at least 160 microlamberts under 
emergency lighting conditions.
    5. There must be a means in the event of failure of the aircraft's 
main power system, or of the normal OFCR compartment lighting system, 
for emergency illumination to be automatically provided for the crew 
rest compartment.
    (a) This emergency illumination must be independent of the main 
lighting system.
    (b) The sources of general cabin illumination may be common to both 
the emergency and the main lighting systems if the power supply to the 
emergency lighting system is independent of the power supply to the 
main lighting system.
    (c) The illumination level must be sufficient for the occupants of 
the OFCR compartment to locate and transfer to the main passenger cabin 
floor by means of each evacuation route.
    6. There must be means for two-way voice communications between 
crewmembers on the flightdeck and occupants of the OFCR compartment. 
There must also be two-way communications between the occupants of the 
OFCR compartment and each flight attendant station required to have a 
public address system microphone per Sec.  25.1423(g) in the passenger 
cabin. In addition, the public address system will include provisions 
to provide only the relevant information to the flight crewmembers in 
the overhead crew rest compartment (e.g., fire in flight, aircraft 
depressurization, preparation of the compartment occupants for landing, 
etc.) and the appropriate training for the flight crewmembers.
    7. There must be a means for manual activation of an aural 
emergency alarm system, audible during normal and emergency conditions, 
to enable crewmembers on the flightdeck and at each pair of required 
floor level emergency exits to alert occupants of the OFCR compartment 
of an emergency situation. Use of a public address or crew interphone 
system would be acceptable, providing an adequate means of 
differentiating between normal and emergency communications is 
incorporated. The system must be powered in flight, after the shutdown 
or failure of all engines and auxiliary power units (APU), or the 
disconnection or failure of all power sources dependent on their 
continued operation (i.e. engine and APU), for a period of at least ten 
minutes.
    8. There must be a means, readily detectable by seated or standing 
occupants of the OFCR compartment, which indicates when seat belts 
should be fastened. In the event there are no seats, at least one means 
must be provided to cover anticipated turbulence (e.g. sufficient 
handholds). Seat belt type restraints must be provided for berths and 
must be compatible for the sleeping attitude during cruise conditions. 
There must be a placard on each berth requiring that seat belts must be 
fastened when occupied. If compliance with any of the other 
requirements of these special conditions is predicated on specific head 
location, there must be a placard identifying the head position.
    9. In lieu of the requirements specified in Sec.  25.1439(a) that 
pertain to isolated compartments and to provide a level of safety 
equivalent to that which is provided occupants of a small isolated 
galley, the following equipment must be provided in the OFCR 
compartment:
    (a) At least one approved hand-held fire extinguisher appropriate 
for the kinds of fires likely to occur;
    (b) Two protective breathing equipment (PBE) devices, approved to 
Technical Standard Order (TSO)-C116 or equivalent, suitable for fire 
fighting or one PBE for each hand-held fire extinguisher, whichever is 
greater; and
    (c) One flashlight.
    10. A smoke or fire detection system (or systems) must be provided 
that monitors each area within the OFCR compartment including those 
areas partitioned by curtains. Flight tests must be conducted to show 
compliance with this requirement. Each system (or systems) must 
provide:
    (a) A visual indication to the flightdeck within one minute after 
the start of a fire;
    (b) An aural warning in the OFCR compartment; and
    (c) A warning in the main passenger cabin. This warning must be 
readily detectable by a flight attendant, taking into consideration the 
positioning of flight attendants throughout the main passenger 
compartment during various phases of flight.
    11. The OFCR compartment must be designed such that fires within 
the compartment can be controlled without a crewmember having to enter 
the compartment, or the design of the access provisions must allow 
crewmembers equipped for fire fighting to have unrestricted access to 
the compartment. The time for a crewmember on the main deck to react to 
the fire alarm, to don the fire fighting equipment, and to gain access 
must not exceed the time for the compartment to become smoke-filled, 
making it difficult to locate the fire source.
    12. There must be a means provided to exclude hazardous quantities 
of

[[Page 15343]]

smoke or extinguishing agent originating in the OFCR compartment from 
entering any other compartment occupied by crewmembers or passengers. 
This means must include the time periods during the evacuation of the 
crew rest compartment and, if applicable, when accessing the crew rest 
compartment to manually fight a fire. Smoke entering any other 
compartment occupied by crewmembers or passengers after opening the 
OFCR access door must dissipate within five minutes after closing the 
access to the OFCR compartment. Flight tests must be conducted to show 
compliance with this requirement.
    If a built-in fire extinguishing system is used in lieu of manual 
fire fighting, then the fire extinguishing system must be designed so 
that no hazardous quantities of extinguishing agent will enter other 
compartments occupied by passengers or crew; the system must have 
adequate capacity to suppress any fire occurring in the OFCR 
compartment, considering the fire threat, volume of the compartment and 
the ventilation rate.
    13. There must be a supplemental oxygen system equivalent to that 
provided for main deck passengers for each seat and berth in the OFCR 
compartment. The system must provide an aural and visual warning to 
warn the occupants of the crew rest compartment to don oxygen masks in 
the event of decompression. The warning must activate before the cabin 
pressure altitude exceeds 15,000 feet. The aural warning must sound 
continuously until a reset push button in the OFCR compartment is 
depressed.
    14. The following requirements apply to OFCR compartments that are 
divided into several sections by the installation of curtains or 
partitions:
    (a) To compensate for sleeping occupants, there must be an aural 
alert that can be heard in each section of the OFCR compartment that 
accompanies automatic presentation of supplemental oxygen masks. A 
minimum of two supplemental oxygen masks are required in each section 
whether or not seats or berths are installed in each section. There 
must also be a means by which the oxygen masks can be manually deployed 
from the flightdeck.
    (b) A placard is required adjacent to each curtain that visually 
divides or separates, for privacy purposes, the OFCR compartment into 
small sections. The placard must require that the curtain(s) remain 
open when the private section it creates is unoccupied. The vestibule 
section adjacent to the stairway is not considered a private area and, 
therefore, does not require a placard.
    (c) For each OFCR section created by the installation of a curtain, 
the following requirements of these special conditions must be met with 
the curtain open or closed:
    (1) No smoking placard (Special Condition No. 1),
    (2) Emergency illumination (Special Condition No. 5),
    (3) Emergency alarm system (Special Condition No. 7),
    (4) Seat belt fasten signal or return to seat signal as applicable 
(Special Condition No. 8), and
    (5) The smoke or fire detection system (Special Condition No. 10).
    (d) Overhead crew rest compartments visually divided to the extent 
that evacuation could be affected must have exit signs that direct 
occupants to the primary stairway exit. The exit signs must be provided 
in each separate section of the OFCR compartment, except for curtained 
bunks, and must meet the requirements of Sec.  25.812(b)(1)(i).
    (e) Sections within an OFCR compartment that are created by the 
installation of a rigid partition with a door physically separating the 
sections, the following requirements of these special conditions must 
be met with the door open or closed:
    (1) There must be a secondary evacuation route from each section to 
the main deck, or alternatively, it must be shown that any door between 
the sections has been designed to preclude anyone from being trapped 
inside the compartment. Removal of an incapacitated occupant within 
this area must be considered.
    (2) Any door between the sections must be shown to be openable when 
crowded against, even when crowding occurs at each side of the door.
    (3) There may be no more than one door between any seat or berth 
and the primary stairway exit.
    (4) There must be exit signs in each section meeting the 
requirements of Sec.  25.812(b)(1)(i) that direct occupants to the 
primary stairway exit. An exit sign with reduced background area as 
described in Special Condition No. 4(a) may be used to meet this 
requirement.
    (f) For each smaller section within the main OFCR compartment 
created by the installation of a partition with a door, the following 
requirements of these special conditions must be met with the door open 
or closed:
    (1) No smoking placards (Special Condition No. 1),
    (2) Emergency illumination (Special Condition No. 5),
    (3) Two-way voice communication (Special Condition No. 6),
    (4) Emergency alarm system (Special Condition No. 7),
    (5) Seat belt fasten signal or return to seat signal as applicable 
(Special Condition No. 8),
    (6) Emergency fire fighting and protective equipment (Special 
Condition No. 9), and
    (7) Smoke or fire detection system (Special Condition No. 10).
    15. The requirements of two-way voice communication with the 
flightdeck and provisions for emergency firefighting and protective 
equipment are not applicable to lavatories or other small areas that 
are not intended to be occupied for extended periods of time.
    16. Where a waste disposal receptacle is fitted, it must be 
equipped with an automatic fire extinguisher that meets the performance 
requirements of Sec.  25.854(b).
    17. Materials (including finishes or decorative surfaces applied to 
the materials) must comply with the flammability requirements of Sec.  
25.853(a) as amended by Amendment 25-83. Mattresses must comply with 
the flammability requirements of Sec.  25.853(c), as amended by 
Amendment 25-83.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on March 20, 2003.
Mike Kaszycki,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-7667 Filed 3-28-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P