[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 41 (Thursday, March 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10470-10471]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-4136]



[[Page 10470]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Consensus Standards, Light-Sport Aircraft

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of certain consensus 
standards relating to the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport 
Aircraft rule issued July 16, 2004, and effective September 1, 2004. 
ASTM International Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft developed 
these standards with FAA participation. By this Notice, the FAA finds 
these standards acceptable for certification of the specified aircraft 
under the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 2, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Federal Aviation Administration, 
Small Airplane Directorate, Programs and Procedures Branch, ACE-114, 
Attention: Larry Werth, Room 301, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri 
64106. Comments may also be e-mailed to: [email protected]. All comments must be marked: Consensus Standards 
Comments, and must specify the standard being addressed by ASTM 
designation and title.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Werth, Light-Sport Aircraft 
Program Manager, Programs and Procedures Branch (ACE-114), Small 
Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; 
telephone (816) 329-4147; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces the availability of 
certain consensus standards relating to the provisions of the Sport 
Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule. ASTM International Committee F37 
on Light Sport Aircraft developed these standards.
    Comments Invited: Interested persons are invited to submit such 
written data, views, or arguments, as they may desire. Communications 
should identify the consensus standard number and be submitted to the 
address specified above. All communications received on or before the 
closing date for comments will be forwarded to ASTM International 
Committee F37 for consideration. The standards may be changed in light 
of the comments received. The FAA will address all comments received 
during the recurring review of the consensus standards and will 
participate in the consensus standards revision process.
    Background: Under the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport 
Aircraft rule, and revised Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Circular A-119, ``Federal Participation in the Development and Use of 
Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment 
Activities'', dated February 10, 1998, industry and the FAA have been 
working with ASTM International to develop consensus standards for 
light-sport aircraft. These consensus standards satisfy the FAA's goal 
for airworthiness certification and a verifiable minimum safety level 
for light-sport aircraft. Instead of developing airworthiness standards 
through the rulemaking process, the FAA participates as a member of 
Committee F37 in developing these standards. The use of the consensus 
standard process assures government and industry discussion and 
agreement on appropriate standards for the required level of safety.
    The FAA has reviewed the fifteen standards presented in this NOA 
for compliance with the regulatory requirements of the rule. Any light-
sport aircraft issued a special light-sport airworthiness certificate, 
which has been designed, manufactured, operated and maintained, in 
accordance with these consensus standards provides the public with the 
appropriate level of safety established under the regulations. 
Manufacturers who choose to produce these aircraft and certificate 
these aircraft under 14 CFR part 21, Sec. Sec.  21.190 or 21.191 are 
subject to the applicable consensus standard requirements. The FAA will 
post a listing of all accepted standards at afs600.faa.gov.
    In developing the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule, the 
FAA had expected that certain consensus standards, such as quality 
assurance and continued airworthiness, would be similar across the 
range of light-sport aircraft. For the consensus standards found 
acceptable in this NOA, the FAA acknowledges that there are differences 
in depth and detail of the consensus standards between light-sport 
airplanes and the other light-sport aircraft. The FAA will monitor 
service experience to see if differences in aircraft complexity 
continue to justify these differences.
    The consensus standards listed in this notice are the standards 
that are currently approved by ASTM International Committee F37. The 
FAA is aware that the committee continues the development of additional 
consensus standards including some that are needed to certificate 
aircraft under 14 CFR, part 21, Sec. Sec.  21.190 or 21.191. This 
ongoing work involves:
    a. Sailplane design, quality assurance, and continued operational 
safety.
    b. Powered parachute wing interface documentation.
    c. Weight shift aircraft design, continued airworthiness, quality 
assurance, production testing, design testing, and required product 
information.
    d. Light-sport aircraft required equipment information.
    e. Light-sport aircraft propeller design.
    f. Lighter than air design, and required product information.
    g. Gyroplane quality assurance.
    h. Maintenance manual content.
    i. Guide for noise.
    The FAA anticipates that these additional standards will be 
available in the near future. The FAA will review all forthcoming 
standards for compliance to appropriate regulatory requirements, and 
will publish notices of availability as these are finalized.

The Effective Period of Use

    The consensus standards listed in this notice may be used unless 
the FAA publishes a specific notification otherwise.

The Consensus Standards

    The FAA finds the following consensus standards acceptable for 
certification of the specified aircraft under the provisions of the 
Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule:

    a. ASTM Designation 2240-03, titled: Standard Specification for 
Manufacturer Quality Assurance Program for Powered Parachute 
Aircraft.
    b. ASTM Designation 2241-03, titled: Standard Specification for 
Continued Airworthiness System for Powered Parachute Aircraft.
    c. ASTM Designation 2242-03, titled: Standard Specification for 
Production Acceptance Testing System for Powered Parachute Aircraft.
    d. ASTM Designation 2243-03, titled: Standard Specification for 
Required Product Information to be provided with Powered Parachute 
Aircraft.
    e. ASTM Designation 2244-03, titled: Standard Specification for 
Design and Performance Requirements for Powered Parachute Aircraft.
    f. ASTM Designation F2245-04, titled: Standard Specification for 
the Design and Performance of a Light Sport Airplane.
    g. ASTM Designation F2279-03, titled: Standard Practice for 
Quality Assurance in the Manufacture of Light Sport Airplanes.
    h. ASTM Designation F2295-03, titled: Standard Practice for the 
Continued

[[Page 10471]]

Operational Safety Monitoring of a Light Sport Airplane.
    i. ASTM Designation F2316-03, titled: Standard Specification for 
Airframe Emergency Parachutes for Light Sport Aircraft.
    j. ASTM Designation F2339-04, titled: Standard Practice for the 
Design and Manufacture of Reciprocating Spark Ignition Engines for 
Light Sport Aircraft.
    k. ASTM Designation F2352-04, titled: Standard Specification for 
Design and Performance of Light Sport Gyroplane Aircraft.
    l. ASTM Designation F2353-04, titled: Standard Specification for 
Manufacturers Quality Assurance Program for Lighter Than Air Light 
Sport Aircraft.
    m. ASTM Designation F2354-04, titled: Standard Specification for 
Continued Airworthiness System for Lighter Than Air Light Sport 
Aircraft.
    n. ASTM Designation F2356-04, titled: Standard Specification for 
Production Acceptance Testing System for Lighter Than Air Light 
Sport Aircraft.
    o. ASTM Designation F2415-04, titled: Standard Practice for 
Continued Airworthiness System for Light Sport Gyroplane Aircraft.

    The Preamble to the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule 
states the FAA will evaluate the service experience of gyroplanes 
manufactured and operated in accordance with the applicable consensus 
standards. The FAA may revise the rule based on its evaluation of 
service experience permitting gyroplanes to obtain the special 
airworthiness certificate for a light-sport aircraft.

Availability

    The consensus standards above are copyrighted by ASTM 
International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, 
PA 19428-2959. Individual reprints of these standards (single or 
multiple copies, or special compilations and other related technical 
information) may be obtained by contacting ASTM at this address, or at 
(610) 832-9585 (phone), (610) 832-9555 (fax), through [email protected] 
(e-mail), or through the ASTM Web site at http://www.astm.org. To 
inquire about standard content and/or membership, or about ASTM 
International Offices abroad, contact Daniel Schultz, Staff Manager for 
Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft: (610) 832-9716, 
[email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 16, 2005.
John J. Hickey,
Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 05-4136 Filed 3-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P