[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 26, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 74347-74348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25808]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2015-2393; Notice No. 25-16-07-SC]


Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc. Models BD-700-2A12 and BD-
700-2A13 Airplanes; Fuselage Post-Crash Fire Survivability

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.

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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Bombardier 
Inc. (Bombardier) Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. These 
airplanes will have novel or unusual design features when compared to 
the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for 
transport category airplanes. These features are associated with an 
aluminum-lithium fuselage construction that may provide different 
levels of protection from post-crash fire threats than similar aircraft 
constructed from traditional aluminum structure. The applicable 
airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety 
standards for this design feature. These proposed 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: Send your comments on or before December 12, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-2393 
using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending 
your comments electronically.
     Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room 
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket 
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
     Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
    Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without 
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the 
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all 
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the 
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an 
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online instructions 
for accessing the docket or go to the Docket Operations in Room W12-140 
of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe and Cabin 
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-2195; facsimile 425-227-1232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 will consider all comments we receive by the closing date for 
comments. We may change these special conditions based on the comments 
we receive.

Background

    On May 30, 2012, Bombardier applied for an amendment to type 
certificate no. T00003NY to include the new Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-
700-2A13 airplanes. These airplanes are derivatives of the Model BD-700 
series of airplanes and are marketed as the Bombardier Global 7000 
(Model BD-700-2A12) and Global 8000 (Model BD-700-2A13). These 
airplanes are twin-engine, transport-category, executive-interior 
business jets. The maximum passenger capacity is 19 and the maximum 
takeoff weights are 106,250 lbs. (Model BD-700-2A12) and 104,800 lbs. 
(Model BD-700-2A13).

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Bombardier must show that the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-
700-2A13 airplanes meet the applicable provisions of the regulations 
listed in Type Certificate no. T00003NY, or the applicable regulations 
in effect on the date of application for the change, except for earlier 
amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
    In addition, the certification basis includes other regulations, 
special conditions, and exemptions that are not relevant to these 
proposed special conditions. Type Certificate no. T00003NY will be 
updated to include a complete description of the certification basis 
for these airplane models.
    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 Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 
airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special 
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec.  21.16.
    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

[[Page 74348]]

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, these special conditions would also apply to the other 
model under Sec.  21.101.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 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.
    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.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes will 
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature: The fuselage 
will be fabricated using aluminum-lithium materials instead of 
conventional aluminum.

Discussion

    The certification basis for the Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and 
BD-700-2A11 airplanes does not include the burn-through requirements 
defined in Sec.  25.856(b) because both airplane models have a 
passenger capacity of fewer than 20. The Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-
2A13 airplanes are introducing a new material other than what has 
traditionally been shown to be survivable from a ``toxic'' standpoint. 
The applicant must ensure that the material being installed on an 
airplane does not introduce a new hazard that would reduce the 
survivability of the passengers during a post-crash situation, or that 
would provide levels of toxic fumes that would be lethal or 
incapacitating, thus preventing evacuation of the airplane in a crash 
scenario.
    In accordance with Sec.  21.16, fuselage structure that includes 
aluminum-lithium construction is an unusual design feature for large, 
transport-category airplanes certificated under 14 CFR part 25.
    Regulations applicable to burn requirements, including Sec. Sec.  
25.853 and 25.856(a), remain valid for these airplanes, but do not 
reflect the threat generated from potentially toxic levels of gases 
produced from aluminum-lithium materials.
    These proposed 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.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. 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, these special conditions would apply to the other model as 
well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. It is not a 
rule of general applicability.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    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, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the 
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis 
for Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes.
    The Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes must show that 
toxic levels of gases produced from the aluminum-lithium material, when 
exposed to a post-crash fire threat, are in no way an additional threat 
to the passengers, including, but not limited to, their ability to 
evacuate, when compared to traditional aluminum airplane materials.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 14, 2016.
Michael Kaszycki,
Assistant Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-25808 Filed 10-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P