[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 201 (Friday, October 17, 2003)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59705-59707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-26310]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 201 / Friday, October 17, 2003 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 59705]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM267; Special Conditions No. 25-251-SC]


Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model 
Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy); Single-Occupant Side-Facing Seats

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream 
Aerospace Corporation Model Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) airplane. This 
airplane as modified by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation will have 
novel or unusual design features associated with single-occupant side-
facing seats. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain 
adequate or appropriate safety standards for these design features. 
These 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 special conditions is October 9, 
2003. Comments must be received on or before November 17, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments on these special conditions may be mailed in 
duplicate to: Federal Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane 
Directorate, Attn: Rules Docket (ANM-113), Docket No. NM267, 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. NM267. 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: Michael Thompson, FAA, Airframe/Cabin 
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington, 98055-
4056; telephone (425) 227-1157; facsimile (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice and 
opportunity for prior public comment are impracticable because these 
procedures would significantly delay issuance of the design approval. 
In addition, the substance of these special conditions has been subject 
to the public comment process with no substantive comments received. 
The FAA therefore finds that good cause exists for making these special 
conditions effective upon issuance.

Comments Invited

    Interested persons are invited to submit such written data, views, 
or arguments, as they may desire. Communications should identify the 
rules docket number and be submitted in duplicate to the address 
specified above. The Administrator will consider all communications 
received on or before the closing date for comments. The special 
conditions may be changed in light of the comments received. All 
comments received will be available in the Rules Docket for examination 
by interested persons, both before and after the closing date for 
comments. A report summarizing each substantive public contact with FAA 
personnel concerning this rulemaking will be filed in the docket. 
Persons wishing the FAA to acknowledge receipt of their comments 
submitted in response to these special conditions must include with 
those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the 
following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. NMxxx.'' The 
postcard will be date stamped and returned to you.

Background

    On May 30, 2003, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, 7440 Aviation 
Place, Dallas, Texas, 75235, applied for a supplemental type 
certificate for installation of single-occupant side-facing seats on 
Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) airplanes. Gulfstream requested special 
conditions for these seats and that the special conditions be listed on 
the supplemental type certificate. The Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) airplane 
is a twin engine, turbofan powered, transport category airplane, which 
is currently the subject of a type certification program.
    Section 25.785(b) requires that ``each seat * * * at each station 
designated as occupiable during takeoff and landing must be designed so 
that a person making proper use of these facilities will not suffer 
serious injury in an emergency landing as a result of the inertia 
forces specified in Sec. Sec.  25.561 and 25.562.'' Additionally, Sec.  
25.562 requires dynamic testing of all seats that are occupied during 
takeoff and landing. However, side-facing seats are considered a novel 
design for transport category airplanes that include Amendment 25-64 in 
the certification basis and were not considered when those 
airworthiness standards were promulgated. Hence, the existing 
regulations do not provide adequate or appropriate safety standards for 
occupants of side-facing seats. In order to provide a level of safety 
that is equivalent to that afforded occupants of forward and aft facing 
seats, additional airworthiness standards in the form of special 
conditions are necessary.
    These special conditions are applicable only to single-occupant 
side-facing seats. They are not sufficient or intended to be used for 
the certification of multiple-occupant side-facing divans or sofas.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Sec.  21.101, Gulfstream Aerospace 
Corporation must show that the Gulfstream Model 200 (Galaxy) airplane, 
as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the 
regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate No. A53NM or 
the applicable regulations in effect on the date of application for the 
change. 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. A53NM are as follows: 14 CFR part 25, effective 
February 1, 1965, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-82.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards

[[Page 59706]]

for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) 
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 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model Gulfstream 200 
(Galaxy) 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.
    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.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation will install single-occupant, 
side-facing seats on Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) airplanes. Section 
25.785(b) requires that ``each seat * * * at each station designated as 
occupiable during takeoff and landing must be designed so that a person 
making proper use of these facilities will not suffer serious injury in 
an emergency landing as a result of the inertia forces specified in 
Sec. Sec.  25.561 and 25.562.'' Additionally, Sec.  25.562 requires 
dynamic testing of all seats that are occupied during takeoff and 
landing. However, side-facing seats are considered a novel design for 
transport category airplanes that include Amendment 25-64 in the 
certification basis, and were not considered when those airworthiness 
standards were promulgated. Hence, the existing regulations do not 
provide adequate or appropriate safety standards for occupants of side-
facing seats. In order to provide a level of safety that is equivalent 
to that afforded occupants of forward and aft facing seats, additional 
airworthiness standards, in the form of special conditions, are 
necessary.

Discussion

    The following special conditions are considered to provide 
occupants of single-occupancy side-facing seats a level of safety that 
is equivalent to that afforded occupants of forward and aft facing 
seats. These special conditions supplement 14 CFR part 25 and, more 
specifically, they supplement Sec. Sec.  25.785 and 25.562.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) modified 
by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. Should Gulfstream Aerospace 
Corporation apply at a later date for a supplemental type certificate 
to modify any other model included on Type Certificate No. A53NM to 
incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, the special 
conditions would apply to that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on one model of airplanes. 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.
    The substance of these special conditions has been subjected to the 
notice and comment period in prior instances and has been derived 
without substantive change from those previously issued. It is unlikely 
that prior public comment would result in a significant change from the 
substance contained herein. For this reason, and because a delay would 
significantly affect the certification of the airplane, which is 
imminent, the FAA has determined that prior public notice and comment 
are unnecessary and impracticable, and good cause exists for adopting 
these special conditions upon issuance. The FAA is requesting comments 
to allow interested persons to submit views that may not have been 
submitted in response to the prior opportunities for comment described 
above.

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 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model 
Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) airplanes. In addition to the airworthiness 
standards of Sec. Sec.  25.562 and 25.785, the minimum acceptable 
standards for dynamic certification of Model Gulfstream 200 (Galaxy) 
single-occupant side-facing seats are as follows:
Injury Criteria
    (a) Existing Criteria: All injury protection criteria of Sec.  
25.562(c)(1) through (c)(6) apply to the occupant of a side-facing 
seat. Head Injury Criterion (HIC) assessments are required only 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 
support the pelvis, upper arm, chest, and 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: The Thoracic Trauma Index (TTI) injury 
criterion must be substantiated by dynamic test or by rational 
analysis, based on a previous test or tests of a similar seat 
installation. Testing must be conducted with a Side Impact Dummy (SID), 
as defined by 49 CFR Part 572, Subpart F, or its equivalent. TTI must 
be less than 85, as defined in 49 CFR Part 572, Subpart F. TTI data 
must be processed as defined in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 
(FMVSS) Part 571.214, section S6.13.5.
    (d) Pelvis: Pelvic lateral acceleration must be shown by dynamic 
test or by rational analysis based on previous test(s) of a similar 
seat installation to not exceed 130g. Pelvic acceleration data must be 
processed as defined in FMVSS Part 571.214, section S6.13.5.
    (e) 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.
Test Requirements
    The above performance measures must not be exceeded during the 
following dynamic tests:
    (a) Conduct a longitudinal test per Sec.  25.562(b)(2) with a SID, 
undeformed floor, no yaw, and with all lateral structural supports 
(armrests/walls).
    Pass/fail injury assessments: TTI and pelvic acceleration.
    (b) Conduct a longitudinal test per Sec.  25.562(b)(2) with the 
Hybrid II ATD, deformed floor, 10 degrees yaw, and

[[Page 59707]]

with all lateral structural supports (armrests/walls).
    Pass/fail injury assessments: HIC, upper torso restraint load, 
restraint system retention and pelvic acceleration.
    (c) Conduct a downward vertical test per Sec.  25.562(b)(1) with a 
modified Hybrid II ATD with existing pass/fail criteria.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 9, 2003.
Ali Bahrami,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 03-26310 Filed 10-16-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-U