[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 94 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26237-26239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-12043]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM254; Notice No. 25-03-02-SC]


Special Conditions: Cessna Model 680 Sovereign; Side Facing 
Single Occupant Seats

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.

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

SUMMARY: This document proposes special conditions for the Cessna Model 
680 Sovereign airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual 
design feature(s) associated with side-facing single-occupant seats. 
The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These proposed 
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: Comments must be received on or before June 30, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposal may be mailed in duplicate to: 
Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane Directorate, Attn: 
Rules Docket (ANM-113), Docket No. NM254, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., 
Renton, Washington 98055-4056; or delivered in duplicate to the 
Transport Airplane Directorate at the above address. Comments must be 
marked: Docket No. NM254. Comments may be inspected in the Rules Docket 
weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Quam, FAA, Standardization 
Branch, ANM-113, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; 
telephone (425) 227-2145, facsimile (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites interested persons to participate in this 
rulemaking by submitting written comments, data, or views. The most 
helpful comments

[[Page 26238]]

reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the 
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. We ask 
that you send us two copies of written comments.
    We will file in the docket all comments we receive, as well as a 
report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA personnel 
concerning these special conditions. The docket is available for public 
inspection before and after the comment closing date. If you wish to 
review the docket in person, go to the address in the ADDRESSES section 
of this preamble between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    We will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing 
date for comments. We will consider comments filed late if it is 
possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. We may change 
these special conditions in light of the comments we receive.
    If you want the FAA to acknowledge receipt of your comments on this 
proposal, include with your comments a pre-addressed, stamped postcard 
on which the docket number appears. We will stamp the date on the 
postcard and mail it back to you.

Background

    On November 24, 1999, Cessna Aircraft Company, One Cessna 
Boulevard, Wichita, KS 67277, applied for type certificate for their 
new Cessna Model 680 Sovereign airplane. The Model 680 Sovereign is a 
twin engine pressurized executive jet airplane with standard seating 
provisions for 12 passenger/crew and allowance for baggage and optional 
equipment. This airplane will have a maximum takeoff weight of 30,000 
pounds with a wingspan of 63.1 feet and will have two aft-mounted Pratt 
& Whitney 306C engines.
    Cessna Model 680 offers interior arrangements, which include 
single-occupant side-facing seat installations. These seats are 
installed on the LH and RH side of the cabin's forward section, forward 
of and opposite to the entry door respectively. Dynamic testing of all 
seats approved for occupancy during takeoff and landing is required by 
14 CFR 25.562. The pass/fail criteria for the testing developed in 
Amendment 25-64 to Sec.  25.562 focused primarily on fore/aft facing 
seats. Side facing seating installations were not adequately addressed 
for transport category airplane in this Amendment.
    These special conditions are applicable to single-occupant side-
facing seats only. They are not intended to be used for multiple-
occupant side-facing divans or sofas, as they do not account for 
possible interaction among the occupants.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, the Cessna Aircraft Company 
must show that the Model 680 Sovereign airplane meets the applicable 
provisions of 14 CFR part 25, effective February 1, 1965, as amended by 
Amendments 25-1 through 25-98; 14 CFR part 34, effective September 10, 
1990, as amended by any amendment in effect on the date of 
certification. 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.
    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 Cessna Model 680 Sovereign 
airplane 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, the Cessna Model 680 Sovereign must comply with the fuel 
vent and exhaust emission requirements of part 34 and the noise 
certification requirements of part 36, and the FAA must issue a finding 
of regulatory adequacy pursuant to Sec.  611 of Public Law 92-574, the 
``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
    Special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, are issued in 
accordance with Sec.  11.38 and become part of the type certification 
basis in accordance with Sec.  21.17(a)(2), Amendment 21-69, effective 
September 16, 1991. Special conditions are initially applicable to the 
model for which they are issued. Should the type certificate for that 
model be amended later to include any other model that incorporates 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

    The Cessna Model 680 offers interior arrangements, which include 
single-occupant side-facing seat installations. These seats are 
installed on the LH and RH side of the cabin's forward section, forward 
and opposite to the entry door respectively. Dynamic testing of all 
seats approved for occupancy during takeoff and landing is required by 
Sec.  25.562. The pass/fail criteria for the testing developed in 
Amendment 25-64 to Sec.  25.562 focused primarily on fore/aft facing 
seats. Side facing seating installations were not adequately addressed 
for transport category airplanes in this Amendment.

Discussion

    The following injury criteria and testing represent the minimum 
acceptable standards, and are being proposed for certification of the 
Model 680 single-occupant side-facing seats, and are to be included as 
requirements in the proposed special conditions. However, the existing 
requirements call for a ``no yaw'' test condition. Cessna is proposing 
to demonstrate values of thoracic trauma index (TTL) and lateral pelvic 
acceleration (LPA) for a ``10 degree yaw'' for which it has some test 
data. In this case, Cessna must show the ``10 degree yaw'' yields 
results that will only differ slightly from the ``no yaw'' condition 
and that these differences would not be of such magnitude as to exceed 
the maximum allowable.

Proposed Injury Criteria

    (a) Existing Criteria. As referenced by Sec.  25.785(b), all injury 
protection criteria of Sec. Sec.  25.562(c)(1) through (c)(6) apply to 
the occupants of the single-occupant side-facing seats. Head injury 
criteria (HIC) assessments are only required for head contact with the 
seat and/or adjacent structures.
    (b) Body-to-wall/furnishing contact. The seat must be installed aft 
of a structure such as an interior wall or furnishing that will contact 
the pelvis, upper arm, chest, or head of an occupant seated next to the 
structure. A conservative representation of the structure and its 
stiffness must be included in the tests. It is recommended, but not 
required, that the contact surface of this structure be covered with at 
least two inches of energy absorbing protective padding (foam or 
equivalent), such as Ensolite.
    (c) Thoracic Trauma. Testing with a Side Impact Dummy (SID), as 
defined by 49 CFR part 572, subpart F, or its equivalent, must be 
conducted and TTI injury criteria acquired with the SID must be less 
than 85, as defined in 49 CFR part 572, subpart F. Side Impact Dummy 
TTI must be processed as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety 
Standard (FMVSS) part 571.214, section S6.13.5. Rational analysis, 
comparing an installation with another installation where TTI data were 
acquired and found acceptable, may also be viable.
    (d) Pelvis. Pelvic lateral acceleration must not exceed 130g, 
pelvic acceleration data must be processed as defined in FMVSS part 
571.214, section S6.13.5

[[Page 26239]]

    (f) Shoulder Strap Loads. Where upper torso straps (shoulder 
straps) are used for sofa occupants, tension loads in individual straps 
must not exceed 1,750 pounds. If dual straps are used for restraining 
the upper torso, the total strap tension loads must not exceed 2,000 
pounds.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Cessna Model 680 Sovereign. Should Cessna Aircraft Company apply at a 
later date for a change to the type certificate to include another 
model incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, the 
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.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on the Cessna Model 680 Sovereign airplane. It is not a rule of general 
applicability, and it affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA 
for approval of these features on the airplane.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.
    The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

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

The Proposed Special Conditions

    Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the 
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis 
for the Cessna Aircraft Company Model 680 Sovereign airplanes.
    The minimum acceptable standards of injury criteria and testing 
requirements for dynamic certification of the Model 680 side-facing 
single-occupant seats are as follows:
    (a) Existing Criteria. As referenced by Sec.  25.785(b), all injury 
protection criteria of Sec. Sec.  25.562(c)(1) through (c)(6) apply to 
the occupants of the side-facing seats. Head injury criteria (HIC) 
assessments are only required for head contact with the seat and/or 
adjacent structures.
    (b) Body-to-wall/furnishing contact. The seat must be installed aft 
of a structure such as an interior wall or furnishing that will contact 
the pelvis, upper arm, chest, or head of an occupant seated next to the 
structure. A conservative representation of the structure and its 
stiffness must be included in the tests. It is recommended, but not 
required, that the contact surface of this structure must be covered 
with at least two inches of energy absorbing protective padding (foam 
or equivalent), such as Ensolite.
    (c) Thoracic Trauma. Testing with a Side Impact Dummy (SID), as 
defined by 49 CFR Part 572, Subpart F, or its equivalent, must be 
conducted and TTI injury criteria acquired with the SID must be less 
than 85, as defined in 49 CFR Part 572, Subpart F. SID TTI must be 
processed as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 
Part 571.214, section S6.13.5. Rational analysis, comparing an 
installation with another installation where TTI data were acquired and 
found acceptable, may also be viable.
    (d) Pelvis. Pelvic lateral acceleration must not exceed 130g, 
pelvic acceleration data must be processed as defined in FMVSS Part 
571.214, section S6.13.5
    (f) Shoulder Strap Loads. Where upper torso straps (shoulder 
straps) are used for occupants, tension loads in individual straps must 
not exceed 1,750 pounds. If dual straps are used for restraining the 
upper torso, the total strap tension loads must not exceed 2,000 
pounds.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 5, 2003.
Ali Bahrami,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-12043 Filed 5-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P