[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 149 (Wednesday, August 4, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 46840-46843]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19072]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM431; Special Conditions No. 25-409-SC]


Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc. Model CL-600-2E25 Series 
Airplane; Passenger 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 Bombardier Inc. 
Model CL-600-2E25 Series Airplane. These airplanes will have a novel or 
unusual design feature associated with seats 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 July 27, 2010. 
We must receive your comments by September 20, 2010.

ADDRESSES: You must mail two copies of your comments to: Federal 
Aviation Administration, Transport Airplane Directorate, Attn: Rules 
Docket (ANM-113), Docket No. NM431, 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. NM431. 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: Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe/Cabin 
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone (425) 227-2195;

[[Page 46841]]

facsimile (425) 227-1232; e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice of and 
opportunity for prior public comment on these special conditions is 
impracticable and would significantly delay issuance of the design 
approval and thus delivery of the affected aircraft. The substance of 
these special conditions has previously been subject to the public-
comment process and received no substantive comments. The FAA therefore 
finds that good cause exists for making these special conditions 
effective upon issuance.

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 let you know we received your comments on these 
special conditions, send us a self-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 February 28, 2007, Bombardier Inc., 400 Cote Vertu West, Dorval, 
Quebec, Canada, H4S 1Y9, applied for an amended type certificate for 
the Bombardier Model CL-600-2E25 airplane to be identified on Type 
Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) No. A21EA. The Model CL-600-2E25 series 
airplane will be a swept-wing, T-tail, twin-engine, fuselage-mounted 
turbofan-powered, single-aisle, medium-sized, transport-category 
airplane.
    The applicable airplane regulations, currently approved under Title 
14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 25, 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, the 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 part 25, Appendix F, parts IV and V, heat-release and 
smoke-emission requirements.

Type Certification Basis

    Under provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Bombardier must show that the 
Model CL-600-2E25 series airplane meets the applicable provisions of 
part 25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-119. If the 
Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations do 
not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Model CL-
600-2E25 airplane because of a novel or unusual design feature, special 
conditions are prescribed under provisions of 14 CFR 21.16.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Model CL-600-2E25 series airplanes 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 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).
    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 or similar 
novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would also 
apply to the other model under the provisions of Sec.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Model CL-600-2E25 series airplanes will incorporate the 
following novel or unusual design feature: 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 
occupants of the cabin in the event 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. To provide a level of safety equivalent to 
that provided by 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.

Definition of ``Non-Traditional, Large, Non-Metallic Panel''

    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, and 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, and video monitors and shrouds.

Clarification of ``Exposed''

    ``Exposed'' is considered to include those panels directly exposed 
to the passenger cabin in the traditional sense, plus those panels 
enveloped such as by a dress cover. Traditional fabrics or leathers 
currently used on seats are excluded from these special conditions.

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These materials must still comply with Sec.  25.853(a) and Sec.  
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 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 large-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. Materials that comply with the standards 
(i.e., Sec.  25.853 entitled ``Compartment interiors'' as amended by 
Amendment 25-61 and Amendment 25-66) extend survival time by 
approximately 2 minutes over materials that do not comply.
    At the time these standards were written, the potential application 
of the requirements of heat release and smoke emission to seats was 
explored. The seat frame itself was not a concern because it was 
primarily made of aluminum and contained only small amounts of non-
metallic materials. The FAA determined that the overall effect on 
survivability was negligible, whether or not the food trays met the 
heat-release and smoke requirements. The requirements, therefore, did 
not address seats. The preambles to both the Notice of Proposed Rule 
Making (NPRM), Notice No. 85-10 (50 FR 15038, April 16, 1985), and the 
Final Rule at Amendment 25-61 (51 FR 26206, July 21, 1986), 
specifically note that seats were excluded ``because the recently-
adopted standards for flammability of seat cushions will greatly 
inhibit involvement of the seats.''
    Subsequently, the Final Rule at Amendment 25-83 (60 FR 6615, March 
6, 1995) clarified the definition of minimum panel size:

    It is not possible to cite a specific size that will apply in 
all installations; however, as a general rule, components with 
exposed-surface areas of one square foot or less may be considered 
small enough that they do not have to meet the new standards. 
Components with exposed-surface areas greater than two square feet 
may be considered large enough that they do have to meet the new 
standards. Those with exposed-surface areas greater than one square 
foot, but less than two square feet, must be considered in 
conjunction with the areas of the cabin in which they are installed 
before a determination could be made.

    In the late 1990s, the FAA issued Policy Memorandum 97-112-39, 
``Guidance for Flammability Testing of Seat/Console Installations,'' 
October 17, 1997 (http://rgl.faa.gov). That memo was issued 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, comparable to partitions or galleys. The 
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 could have been 
viewed as a loophole to the airworthiness standards that would result 
in an unacceptable decrease in survivability during a cabin fire event.
    In October 2004, the FAA examined the appropriate flammability 
standards for passenger seats installed on transport-category airplanes 
that incorporated non-traditional, large, non-metallic panels in lieu 
of the traditional metal covered by fabric. The FAA reviewed this 
design and determined that it represented the kind and quantity of 
material that should be required to pass the heat-release and smoke-
emissions requirements. The FAA has determined that special conditions 
would be issued to apply the standards defined in Sec.  25.853(d) to 
seats with large, non-metallic panels in their design.

Applicability

    Because the heat-release and smoke-emission testing requirements of 
Sec.  25.853 are part of the type certification basis for the Model CL-
600-2E25 series airplane, these special conditions are applicable to 
the Model CL-600-2E25 series airplane. Should Bombardier 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.
    Seats do not have to meet these special conditions when installed 
in compartments that are not otherwise required to meet the test 
requirements of part 25, Appendix F, parts IV and V. This includes, for 
example, airplanes that do not have Sec.  25.853, Amendment 25-61 or 
later, in their certification basis and those airplanes that do not 
need to comply with the requirements of Sec.  121.312.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on Bombardier Inc. Model CL-600-2E25 series airplanes. It is not a rule 
of general applicability.
    The substance of these special conditions has been subjected to the 
notice and comment period in several 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. Therefore, the FAA has determined 
that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary, 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

    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 Bombardier Inc. Model CL-600-2E25 
series airplane.
    1. Except as provided in special condition number 3, below, 
compliance with heat-release and smoke-emission testing requirements 
per Sec.  25.853, and Appendix F, parts IV and V, 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 number 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 part 25, 
Appendix F, parts IV and V, when installed in compartments that are not 
otherwise required to meet these requirements. Examples include:

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    a. Airplanes with passenger capacities of 19 or less,
    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 Sec.  121.312, and
    c. Airplanes exempted from Sec.  25.853, Amendment 25-61 or later.
    4. Only airplanes associated with new seat-certification programs 
approved after the effective date of these special conditions will be 
affected by the requirements in these special conditions. Previously 
certificated interiors on the existing airplane fleet, and follow-on 
deliveries of airplanes with previously certificated interiors, are not 
affected.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on July 27, 2010.
Ali Bahrami,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-19072 Filed 8-3-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P