[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 175 (Monday, September 11, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 53310-53313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15001]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM314; Special Conditions No. 25-326-SC]


Special Conditions: Airbus Model A380-800 Airplane; Stairways 
Between Decks

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Airbus A380-800 
airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when 
compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness 
standards for transport category airplanes. Many of these novel or 
unusual design features are associated with the complex systems and the 
configuration of the airplane, including its full-length double deck. 
For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do 
not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards regarding 
stairways between decks. 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. Additional special conditions will be 
issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Airbus Model 
A380-800 airplane.

EFFECTIVE DATE: The effective date of these special conditions is 
August 28, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Holly Thorson, FAA, International 
Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98055-4056; telephone 
(425) 227-1357; facsimile (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Airbus applied for FAA certification/validation of the 
provisionally-designated Model A3XX-100 in its letter AI/L 810.0223/98, 
dated August 12, 1998, to the FAA. Application for certification by the 
Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) of Europe had been made on January 16, 
1998, reference AI/L 810.0019/98. In its letter to the FAA, Airbus 
requested an extension to the 5-year period for type certification in 
accordance with 14 CFR 21.17(c).
    The request was for an extension to a 7-year period, using the date 
of the

[[Page 53311]]

initial application letter to the JAA as the reference date. The reason 
given by Airbus for the request for extension is related to the, 
technical challenges, complexity, and the number of new and novel 
features on the airplane. On November 12, 1998, the Manager, Aircraft 
Engineering Division, AIR-100, granted Airbus' request for the 7-year 
period, based on the date of application to the JAA.
    In its letter AI/LE-A 828.0040/99 Issue 3, dated July 20, 2001, 
Airbus stated that its target date for type certification of the Model 
A380-800 had been moved from May 2005, to January 2006, to match the 
delivery date of the first production airplane. In a subsequent letter 
(AI/L 810.0223/98 issue 3, dated January 27, 2006), Airbus stated that 
its target date for type certification is October 2, 2006. In 
accordance with 14 CFR 21.17(d)(2), Airbus chose a new application date 
of December 20, 1999, and requested that the 7-year certification 
period which had already been approved be continued. The FAA has 
reviewed the part 25 certification basis for the Model A380-800 
airplane, and no changes are required based on the new application 
date.
    The Model A380-800 airplane will be an all-new, four-engine jet 
transport airplane with a full double-deck, two-aisle cabin. The 
maximum takeoff weight will be 1.235 million pounds with a typical 
three-class layout of 555 passengers.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Airbus must show that the 
Model A380-800 airplane meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 
25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-98. If the Administrator 
finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain 
adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Airbus A380-800 
airplane because of novel or unusual design features, special 
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.16.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Airbus Model A380-800 airplane 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. In addition, the 
FAA must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy pursuant to section 611 
of Public Law 93-574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
    Special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, are issued in 
accordance with 14 CFR 11.38 and become part of the type certification 
basis in accordance with 14 CFR 21.17(a)(2).
    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 14 CFR 21.101.

Discussion of Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The A380 incorporates seating on two full-length passenger decks, 
each of which has the capacity of a typical wide body airplane. Two 
staircases--one located in the front of the cabin and one located in 
the rear--allow for the movement of persons between decks. With large 
seating capacities on the main deck and the upper deck of the A380-800 
airplane, the staircases need to be able to support movement between 
decks in an inflight emergency. In addition, although compliance with 
the evacuation demonstration requirements of Sec.  25.803 does not 
depend on the use of stairs, there must be a way for passengers on one 
deck to move to the other deck during an emergency evacuation. This 
need must be addressed in the certification of the airplane.
    The regulations governing the certification of the A380 do not 
adequately address a passenger airplane with two separate full-length 
decks for passengers. The Boeing 747 and Lockheed L-1011 airplanes were 
certificated with limited seating capacity on two separate decks, and 
special conditions were issued to certificate those arrangements. When 
the seating capacity of the upper deck of the Boeing 747 exceeded 24 
passengers, the FAA issued Special Conditions 25-61-NW-1 for a maximum 
seating capacity of 32 passengers on the upper deck for take-off and 
landing. A second set of Special Conditions, 25-71-NW-3, was issued to 
cover airplanes with a maximum seating capacity of 45 passengers on the 
upper deck for take-off and landing. That second set of Special 
Conditions was later modified to address airplanes with a maximum 
seating capacity of 110 passengers on the upper deck. These previously 
issued special conditions provided a starting point for the development 
of special conditions for the A380-800 airplane.
    In the case of both the L-1011 and the 747, the special conditions 
were based on the requirements and associated level of safety in place 
at the time of application for type certificate. The requirements and 
the level of safety have improved significantly since that time, and 
these special conditions reflect those improvements.
    In addition to the requirements of Sec. Sec.  25.803 and 25.811 
through 25.813, special conditions are needed to address the movement 
of passengers between the two full-length decks on the Model A380. 
These special conditions provide additional requirements for the 
stairways to ensure the safe passage of occupants between decks during 
moderate turbulence, an inflight emergency, or an emergency evacuation.

Discussion of Comments

    Notice of Proposed Special Conditions No. 25-05-09, pertaining to 
stairways between decks, was published in the Federal Register on 
August 9, 2005 (70 FR 46110). Comments were received from the Boeing 
Company, the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA), and the Association of 
Flight Attendants (AFA).
    Requested change 1: The Boeing Company states that as a general 
matter ``a single stairway has been shown through service history of 
the Boeing Model 747-300 and -400 to be sufficient for an upper deck 
that is approved for up to 110 passengers (or has a single pair of type 
A exits). By comparison, the FAA is requiring a minimum of two 
stairways for the Model A380-800, which has three pairs of upper deck 
type A exits (or is theoretically eligible for up to 330 passengers on 
the upper deck).'' The commenter recommends that the special conditions 
state that one stairway is sufficient for an upper deck that is 
approved to carry no more than 110 passengers.
    FAA response: The special conditions pertain to the design of the 
Model A380-800; thus discussion of designs that require only one 
stairway is not relevant.
    Requested change 2: ALPA requests that a special condition be added 
to ensure that the stairway can be used when the aircraft fuselage 
suffers minor deformation during a survivable accident or incident.
    FAA response: The stairway design must comply with all structural 
requirements; therefore, no change has been made to the special 
conditions, as proposed.
    Requested change 3: In terms of Special Condition a., ALPA suggests 
the following:
    ``The procedures developed to accommodate the carriage of an 
incapacitated person from one deck to the other should be demonstrated 
using personnel from air carrier crews,

[[Page 53312]]

representing the largest and smallest persons that the carriers may 
employ and with the same level of training that will be provided in 
service.''
    FAA response: The FAA does not believe that this is necessary. The 
design of the stairway must be demonstrated to be suitable for 
evacuation of an incapacitated person, and this might be accomplished 
by either crew or passengers assisting the crew. The intent of this 
requirement is to ensure that one of the stairs provide a means to 
transport an incapacitated person from the upper deck, in much the way 
such a person would be evacuated along the aisle of a single deck 
airplane. Any crew duties necessary to facilitate the evacuation should 
be consistent with existing processes and not require extraordinary 
effort. The comment is related more to the means of demonstrating 
compliance with the requirement than the substance of the requirement 
itself. Therefore, we have not changed the special condition, as 
proposed.
    Requested change 4: The Boeing Company requests that Special 
Condition b. be revised to read as follows:
    ``There must be at least two stairways between decks that meet the 
following requirements:
    ``The stairways must be designed * * * One of these stairways must 
be the stairway specified in paragraph a. above.''
    FAA response: The suggested wording is more explicit than that 
proposed, and we have changed the wording of Special Condition b. 
accordingly.
    Requested change 5: Regarding Special Condition c.1., AFA seeks 
clarification of the types of assistance needed by cabin crew in regard 
to merging of passengers from the two decks into the stairways. The 
commenter adds that, ``Analysis is not an acceptable tool for 
demonstrating these requirements [for each stairway between decks].''
    FAA response: The assistance provided would be consistent with that 
currently provided by flight attendants to facilitate evacuation. In 
terms of the method of demonstration used to substantiate that the 
requirements are met, testing is more likely but analysis could be an 
appropriate method. Accordingly, no change has been made to the special 
conditions, as proposed.
    Requested change 6: Both the Boeing Company and AFA suggest 
revising Special Condition c.2. to require a handrail on both sides of 
a stairway, if the stairway is wide enough to accommodate more than a 
single lane of persons. AFA also suggests that there be a special 
condition relative to limit loads on the handrails.
    FAA response: The current design provides two handrails. The FAA 
does not consider it necessary to require two handrails, although other 
performance requirements in this special condition for the stairs may 
dictate the need for two handrails.
    The proposed special conditions require that the handrail design 
address foreseeable operating conditions, including turbulence and 
adverse attitude. This will necessitate a structural design capable of 
performing its function under those conditions. Stating the requirement 
objectively rather than prescriptively permits more flexibility in the 
design and takes the specific installation into account. In fact, 
Airbus has used the design specifications from other industries in the 
design of the stairs; in practice, therefore, those strength criteria 
will form the baseline for the design.
    Requested change 7: The Boeing Company suggests revising Special 
Condition c.4. to address narrow stairways with handrails on both 
sides, because such a stairway ``can be used safely in the conditions 
specified without requiring a wall above the handrail or equivalent on 
each side.''
    FAA response: The special condition permits an equivalent means, so 
that--if the use of a handrail were shown to be equivalent in certain 
cases--the special condition would permit its use.
    Requested change 8: AFA supports Special Condition c.5. and 
suggests that there should also be special conditions ``requiring that 
the surface of the treads and landings should also be designed to 
include adequate slip resistant properties. Additionally, the treads 
and risers should have uniform dimensions in order to allow the user to 
establish a uniform gait when using the stairway.''
    FAA response: The regulations already address slip resistance for 
surfaces likely to become wet in service, so this aspect is not novel. 
In terms of the detailed design of the treads and risers, rather than 
being prescriptive, we are using a performance based approach in the 
special condition. Performance-based requirements will very likely 
drive the design, as suggested, since the suggested features are 
generally regarded as necessary to achieve efficient and safe stair 
usage.
    Requested change 9: Although acknowledging that the proposed 
illumination level is the same as for the rest of the airplane 
interior, ALPA states that the proposed level of illumination for the 
stairway is far too low. The commenter recommends that the illumination 
should be an average of 1 foot-candle with a minimum of 0.1 foot-
candle. This is the same as that specified in the NFPA Life Safety 
Code, 1997.
    FAA response: As noted by ALPA, the emergency lighting level is 
consistent with the other requirements for emergency lighting in the 
cabin as well as for stairs on other airplanes. The general emergency 
lighting requirements concerning battery discharge and cold-soak will 
also apply to the lighting on the stairs, so the typical illumination 
values will, in fact, be much higher. The proposed standards have 
demonstrated satisfactory service experience. Therefore, we have made 
no change to the special condition, as proposed.
    Requested change 10: The Boeing Company suggests revising Special 
Condition c.8. to read as follows:
    ``An exit sign must be provided in the upper deck near the 
stairway, visible to upper deck passengers while seated or standing. In 
addition, the upper end of the stairway must include an exit sign 
visible to passengers while descending the stairway, leading them to 
main deck exits beyond the sign. Both exit signs must meet the 
requirements of Sec. 25.812(b)(1)(ii).'' The commenter further 
recommends that--if a lower exit sign is required in the stairway--the 
sign should not be visible to main deck passengers who are not on the 
stairs.
    FAA response: As proposed, Special Condition c.8. specifies that an 
exit sign be visible to a person on the stairway. This will provide 
guidance to people using the stairway, but not necessarily direct 
people to the stairway. The optimum evacuation strategy is for people 
to evacuate from the deck on which they are seated. Adding signs to 
direct people to the stairs could actually slow the overall evacuation. 
Conversely, if people do use the stairs, they will have an indication 
that exits are available. Therefore, we have not changed the text of 
the Special Conditions, as proposed.
    Requested change 11: The Boeing Company suggests that Special 
Condition d. be revised to read, ``Each entrance or path to the 
entrance of a stairway must be visible from a seat designated for 
flight attendants' use during taxi, takeoff, and landing. Cabin crew 
procedures and positions must be established. * * *''
    A comment submitted by AFA states, ``AFA agrees that cabin crew 
positions and procedures need to be established to help manage the use 
of the stairs between decks but do not believe that cabin crew can 
``control'' or prevent movement of * * * passengers between the two 
decks.'' The commenter

[[Page 53313]]

suggests replacing the word ``control'' with the word ``manage'' [or 
``management''] to reflect a more realistic situation.
    FAA response: The direct view requirements will be applied to the 
stairs as they are to other egress paths. The FAA agrees that 
``manage'' is a better term than ``control'' and has changed the text 
of Special Condition d. accordingly.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Airbus A380-800 airplane. Should Airbus apply at a later date for a 
change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating 
the same novel or unusual design features, these special conditions 
would apply to that model as well under the provisions of Sec.  21.101.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
of the Airbus A380-800 airplane. It is not a rule of general 
applicability.

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 the Airbus A380-800 airplane.
    In addition to the requirements of Sec. Sec.  25.803 and 25.811 
through 25.813, the following special conditions apply:
    a. At least one stairway between decks must meet the following 
requirements:
    The stairway accommodates the carriage of an incapacitated person 
from one deck to the other. The crew member procedures for such 
carriage must be established.
    b. There must be at least two stairways between decks that meet the 
following requirements: The stairways must be designed such that 
evacuees can achieve an adequate rate for going down or going up under 
probable emergency conditions, including a condition in which a person 
falls or is incapacitated while on a stairway. One of the stairways 
must be the stairway specified in paragraph a. above.
    c. Each stairway between decks must meet the following 
requirements:
    1. It must have an entrance, exit, and gradient characteristics 
that--with the assistance of a crew member--would allow the passengers 
of one deck to merge with passengers of the other deck during an 
evacuation and exit the airplane. These entrance, exit, and gradient 
characteristics must occur with the airplane in level attitude and in 
each attitude resulting from the collapse of any one or more legs of 
the landing gear. These requirements must be demonstrated by tests and/
or analysis.
    2. The stairway must have a handrail on at least one side in order 
to allow people to steady themselves during foreseeable conditions, 
including but not limited to the condition of gear collapse on the 
ground and moderate turbulence in flight. The handrails must be 
constructed, so that there will be no obstruction on them which will 
cause the user to release his/her grip on the handrail or will hinder 
the continuous movement of the hands along the handrail. Handrails must 
be terminated in a manner which will not obstruct pedestrian travel or 
create a hazard. Adequacy of the design must be demonstrated by using 
persons representative of the 5% female and the 95% male.
    3. The stairway must be designed and located to minimize damage to 
it during an emergency landing or ditching.
    4. The stairway must have a wall or the equivalent on each side to 
minimize the risk of falling and to facilitate use of the stairway 
under conditions of abnormal airplane attitude.
    5. Treads and landings must be designed and demonstrated to be free 
of hazard. The landing area at each deck level must be demonstrated to 
be adequate in terms of flow rate for the maximum number of people that 
will be using the stair in an emergency. Treads and risers must be 
designed to ensure an easy and safe use of the stairway.
    6. General emergency illumination must be provided so that--when 
measured along the centerlines of each tread and landing--the 
illumination is not less than 0.05 foot-candle.
    7. In normal operation, the general illumination level must not be 
less than 0.05 foot-candles. The assessment must be done under day 
light and dark of night conditions.
    8. Both stairway ends must be indicated by an exit sign visible to 
passengers when in the stairway. This exit sign must meet the 
requirements of Sec.  25.812(b)(1)(ii).
    9. A floor proximity path marking system which meets the 
requirements of Sec.  25.812(e) must be available to guide passengers 
in the stairway to the stairway ends. It must not direct the occupants 
of the cabin to the stair entrance.
    10. The public address system must be audible in the stairway 
during all flight phases.
    11. ``No smoking'' and ``return to seat'' signs must be installed 
and must be visible in the stairway both going up and down and at the 
stairway entrances.
    d. Cabin crew procedures and positions must be established to 
manage the use of the stairs on the ground and in flight under both 
normal and emergency situations. This may require that cabin crew 
members have specific dedicated duties for the management of the stairs 
during emergency and precautionary evacuations.
    e. It should not be hazardous for crew members or passengers who 
are returning to their seats to use the stairways during moderate 
turbulence.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on August 28, 2006.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-15001 Filed 9-8-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P