[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 4, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46838-46840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19071]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM430; Special Conditions No. 25-408-SC]


Special Conditions: Embraer ERJ 190-100 Series Airplane Seats 
With Non-Traditional, Large, Non-Metallic Panels

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Embraer ERJ 190-
100 series airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design 
features that include non-traditional, large, non-metallic panels that 
would affect survivability during a post-crash fire event. The 
applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for this design feature. 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 June 29, 2010. 
We must receive your comments by September 3, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You must mail two copies of your comments to: Federal 
Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane Directorate, Attn: Rules 
Docket (ANM-113), Docket No. NM430, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 
Washington 98057-3356. You may deliver two copies to the Transport 
Airplane Directorate at the above address. You must mark your comments: 
Docket No. NM430. You can inspect comments in the Rules Docket 
weekdays, except Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cindy Ashforth, FAA, International 
Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; 
telephone (425) 227-2768; facsimile (425) 227-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Future Requests for Installation of Seats With Non-Traditional, Large, 
Non-Metallic Panels

    The FAA has determined that notice of, and opportunity for prior 
public comment on, these special conditions are impracticable because 
these procedures would significantly delay issuance of the design 
approval and thus delivery of the affected aircraft. In addition, the 
substance of these special conditions has been subject to the public-
comment process in several prior instances with no substantive comments 
received. The FAA therefore finds that good cause exists for making 
these special conditions effective upon issuance.
    We anticipate that seats with non-traditional, large, non-metallic 
panels will be installed in other makes and models of airplanes. We 
have made the determination to require special conditions for all 
applications requesting the installation of seats with non-traditional, 
large, non-metallic panels until the airworthiness requirements can be 
revised to address this issue. Having the same standards across the 
range of airplane makes and models will ensure consistent ruling for 
the aviation industry.

Comments Invited

    We invite interested people to take part in this rulemaking by 
sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments 
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 
about these special conditions. You can inspect the docket 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 by 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 based on the comments we receive.
    If you want us to acknowledge receipt of your comments on these 
special conditions, include with your comments a self-addressed, 
stamped postcard on which you have written the docket number. We will 
stamp the date on the postcard and mail it back to you.

Background

    On March 9, 2010, Embraer applied for a change to Type Certificate 
No. A57NM for a new interior arrangement of 112 slim passenger seats in 
the ERJ 190-100 STD, ERJ 190-100 LR, and ERJ

[[Page 46839]]

190-100 IGW. The Embraer ERJ 190-100 series airplanes, currently 
approved under Type Certificate No. A57NM, are low-wing, conventional-
tail, twin-turbofan, transport-category airplanes.
    The applicable regulations to airplanes currently approved under 
Type Certificate No. A57NM do not require seats to meet the more 
stringent flammability standards required of large, non-metallic panels 
in the cabin interior. At the time the applicable rules were written, 
seats were designed with a metal frame covered by fabric, not with 
large, non-metallic panels. Seats also met the then-recently adopted 
standards for flammability of seat cushions. With the seat design being 
mostly fabric and metal, their contribution to a fire in the cabin had 
been minimized and was not considered a threat. For these reasons, 
seats did not need to be tested to heat-release and smoke-emission 
requirements.
    Seat designs have now evolved to occasionally include non-
traditional, large, non-metallic panels. Taken in total, the surface 
area of these panels is on the same order as the sidewall and overhead-
stowage-bin interior panels. To provide the level of passenger 
protection intended by the airworthiness standards, these non-
traditional, large, non-metallic panels in the cabin must meet the 
standards of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 25, 
Appendix F, parts IV and V, heat-release and smoke-emission 
requirements.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Sec.  21.101 Embraer must show that the ERJ 
190-100, as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the 
regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate No. A57NM 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 
A57NM are as follows: Part 25, as amended by Amendment 25-1 through 
Amendment 25-101. In addition, the certification basis includes certain 
special conditions, exemptions, or later amended sections of the 
applicable part that are not relevant to these special conditions.
    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 ERJ 190-100 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 ERJ 190-100 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;
    The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in 
accordance with Sec.  11.38, and they become part of the type-
certification basis under Sec.  21.101.
    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, or should any other model already included on 
the same type certificate be modified to incorporate the same novel or 
unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the 
other model.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The ERJ 190-100 series aircraft will incorporate the following 
novel or unusual design features: These models offer interior 
arrangements that include passenger seats that incorporate non-
traditional, large, non-metallic panels in lieu of the traditional 
metal frame covered by fabric. The flammability properties of these 
panels have been shown to significantly affect the survivability of the 
cabin in the case of fire. These seats are considered a novel design 
for transport-category airplanes that include Amendment 25-61 and 
Amendment 25-66 in the certification basis, and were not considered 
when those airworthiness standards were established. The existing 
regulations do not provide adequate or appropriate safety standards for 
seat designs that incorporate non-traditional, large, non-metallic 
panels in their designs. To provide a level of safety that is 
equivalent to that afforded to the balance of the cabin, additional 
airworthiness standards, in the form of special conditions, are 
necessary. These special conditions supplement Sec.  25.853. The 
requirements contained in these special conditions consist of applying 
the identical test conditions, required of all other large panels in 
the cabin, to seats with non-traditional, large, non-metallic panels.
    A non-traditional, large, non-metallic panel, in this case, is 
defined as a panel with exposed surface areas greater than 1.5 square 
feet installed per seat place. The panel may consist of either a single 
component or multiple components in a concentrated area. Examples of 
parts of the seat where these non-traditional panels are installed 
include, but are not limited to: Seat backs, bottoms and leg/foot 
rests, kick panels, back shells, credenzas, and associated furniture. 
Examples of traditional exempted parts of the seat include: Arm caps, 
armrest close-outs such as end bays and armrest-styled center consoles, 
food trays, video monitors, and shrouds.

Clarification of ``Exposed''

    ``Exposed'' is considered to include panels that are directly 
exposed to the passenger cabin in the traditional sense, and panels 
that are enveloped, such as by a dress cover. Traditional fabrics or 
leathers currently used on seats are excluded from these special 
conditions. These materials must still comply with Sec. Sec.  25.853(a) 
and 25.853(c) if used as a covering for a seat cushion, or Sec.  
25.853(a) if installed elsewhere on the seat. Non-traditional, large, 
non-metallic panels covered with traditional fabrics or leathers will 
be tested without their coverings or covering attachments.

Discussion

    In the early 1980s, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
conducted extensive research on the effects of post-crash flammability 
in the passenger cabin. As a result of this research and service 
experience, the FAA adopted new standards for interior surfaces 
associated with larger-surface-area parts. Specifically, the rules 
require measurement of heat release and smoke emission (part 25, 
Appendix F, parts IV and V) for the affected parts. Heat release has 
been shown to have a direct correlation with post-crash, fire-survival 
time. The materials that comply with the standards (i.e., Sec.  25.853, 
titled ``Compartment Interiors,'' as amended by Amendments 25-61 and 
25-66) extended survival time by approximately 2 minutes over materials 
that do not comply.
    At the time Amendment 25-61 was written, the potential application 
of the requirement to seats was explored. The seat frame itself was not 
a concern because it was primarily made of aluminum and included only 
small amounts of non-metallic materials (for example, a food-tray table 
and armrest closeout). It was determined that the overall effect on 
survivability was negligible, whether or not these panels met the heat-
release and smoke-emission requirements. The requirements therefore did 
not address seats, and the preambles to both Notice of Proposed Rule 
Making (NPRM) 85-10 and the final rule (Amendment 25-61) specifically 
noted that they were excluded ``because the recently-adopted

[[Page 46840]]

standards for flammability of seat cushions will greatly inhibit 
involvement of the seats.''
    In the late 1990s, when it became clear that seat designs were 
evolving to include large non-metallic panels with surface areas that 
would impact survivability during a cabin-fire event compared to 
partitions or galleys, the FAA issued Policy Memorandum 97-112-39. This 
memo noted that large-surface-area panels must comply with heat-release 
and smoke-emission requirements, even if they were attached to a seat. 
If the FAA had not issued such policy, seat designs would have been 
viewed as a loophole to the airworthiness standards that would result 
in an unacceptable decrease in survivability during a cabin-fire event.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
ERJ 190-100. Should Embraer 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.
    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to 
Embraer ERJ 190-100 series airplanes. It is not our intent, however, to 
require seats with non-traditional, large, non-metallic panels to meet 
Sec.  25.853, which calls out appendix F, parts IV and V, if they are 
installed in cabins of airplanes that otherwise are not required to 
meet these standards. Because the heat-release and smoke-emission 
testing requirements of Sec.  25.853, per appendix F, parts IV and V, 
are not part of the type-certification basis of the Model ERJ 190-100, 
these special conditions are only applicable if the Model ERJ 190-100 
series airplanes are in 14 CFR part 121 operations. Section 121.312 
requires compliance with the heat-release and smoke-emission testing 
requirements of Sec.  25.853, for certain airplanes, irrespective of 
the type-certification bases of those airplanes. For Model ERJ 190-100 
series airplanes, these are the airplanes that would be affected by 
these special conditions. Should Embraer apply at a later date for a 
supplemental type certificate to modify any other model included on 
Type Certificate No. A57NM, 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-series of airplanes. It is not a rule of general 
applicability and affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for 
approval of these features on the airplane.
    Under standard practice, the effective date of final special 
conditions would be 30 days after the date of publication in the 
Federal Register; however, as the return-to-service date for the 
Embraer ERJ 190-100 series airplane is imminent, the FAA finds that 
good cause exists to make these special conditions effective upon 
issuance.

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

    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 Embraer ERJ 190-100 series airplanes.
    1. Except as provided in paragraph 3 of these special conditions, 
compliance with 14 CFR part 25, appendix F, parts IV and V, heat 
release and smoke emission, is required for seats that incorporate non-
traditional, large, non-metallic panels that may be either a single 
component or multiple components in a concentrated area in their 
design.
    2. The applicant may designate up to and including 1.5 square feet 
of non-traditional, non-metallic panel material per seat place that 
does not have to comply with special condition (1), above. A triple-
seat assembly may have a total of 4.5 square feet excluded on any 
portion of the assembly (e.g., outboard-seat place 1 square foot; 
middle, 1 square foot; and inboard, 2.5 square feet).
    3. Seats do not have to meet the test requirements of 14 CFR part 
25, appendix F, parts IV and V, when installed in compartments that are 
not otherwise required to meet these requirements. Examples include:
    a. Airplanes with passenger capacities of 19 or fewer,
    b. Airplanes that do not have Sec.  25.853, Amendment 25-61 or 
later, in their certification basis and do not need to comply with the 
requirements of 14 CFR 121.312, and
    c. Airplanes exempted from Sec.  25.853, Amendment 25-61 or later.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on June 29, 2010.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-19071 Filed 8-3-10; 8:45 am]
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