[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 37805-37806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-17071]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 155 / Monday, August 14, 2017 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 37805]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2016-8030; Special Conditions No. 25-698-SC]


Special Conditions: Garmin International, Beechcraft Corporation 
Model 400A Airplanes; Airplane Electronic-System Security Protection 
From Unauthorized Internal Access

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for Garmin International 
(Garmin) for modifications to Beechcraft Corporation (Beechcraft) Model 
400A airplanes. These airplanes, as modified by Garmin, will have a 
novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of 
technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-
category airplanes. This design feature incorporates the Garmin G5000 
satellite-based navigation system into the airplanes. 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: This action is effective on Garmin on August 14, 2017. We must 
receive your comments by September 28, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2016-8030 
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 9 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).
    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 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: Varun Khanna, FAA, Airplane and 
Flightcrew Interface, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-1298; facsimile 425-227-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice of, and 
opportunity for prior public comment on, these special conditions is 
impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay 
issuance of the design approval, and thus delivery, of the affected 
airplane.
    In addition, the substance of these special conditions has been 
published in the Federal Register for public comment in several prior 
instances with no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore 
finds it unnecessary to delay the effective date and finds that good 
cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon 
publication in the Federal Register.
    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.

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 February 13, 2014, Garmin applied for a supplemental type 
certificate to install the Garmin G5000 satellite-based navigation 
system in Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes. These airplanes, which are 
currently approved under Type Certificate No. A16SW, are twin-engine 
corporate turbojet airplanes with a maximum takeoff weight of 16,100 
lbs., and seating for 7 to 9 passengers and 2 crew members.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Garmin must show that the Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes, 
as modified by Garmin, continue to meet the applicable provisions of 
the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A16SW or the applicable 
regulations in effect on the date of application for the change, except 
for earlier amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
    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 Beechcraft Model 400A 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 applicant apply for a supplemental type 
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type 
certificate to incorporate the

[[Page 37806]]

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 Beechcraft Model 400A 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

    The Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes, as modified by Garmin, will 
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
    Installation of the Garmin G5000 satellite-based navigation system 
into the airplanes.

Discussion

    The Garmin G5000 satellite-based navigation-system design, 
installed in Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes, introduces the potential 
for unauthorized persons, accessing the passenger-services domain, to 
access the airplane-control domain and airplane information-services 
domain; and further may introduce security vulnerabilities related to 
the introduction of viruses, worms, user errors, and intentional 
sabotage of airplane networks, systems, and databases.
    The operating systems for current airplane systems usually are 
proprietary. Therefore, they are not as susceptible to corruption from 
worms, viruses, and other malicious actions as are more widely used 
commercial operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows, because access 
to the design details of these proprietary operating systems is limited 
to the system developer and airplane integrator. Some systems installed 
on the Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes will use operating systems that 
are widely used and commercially available from third-party software 
suppliers. The security vulnerabilities of these operating systems may 
be more widely known than proprietary operating systems currently used 
by avionics manufacturers.
    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.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to 
Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes modified by Garmin. Should Garmin apply 
at a later date for a supplemental type certificate to incorporate the 
same novel or unusual design feature for any other model included on 
the same type certificate, these special conditions would apply to that 
model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature 
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability and 
affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of this 
feature on the airplane.

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, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of 
the type certification basis for Beechcraft Model 400A airplanes 
modified by Garmin.
    1. The applicant must ensure that the design provides isolation 
from, or airplane electronic-system security protection against, access 
by unauthorized sources internal to the airplane. The design must 
prevent inadvertent and malicious changes to, and all adverse impacts 
upon, airplane equipment, systems, networks, or other assets required 
for safe flight and operations.
    2. The applicant must establish appropriate procedures to allow the 
operator to ensure that continued airworthiness of the airplane is 
maintained, including all post-type-certification modifications that 
may have an impact on the approved electronic-system security 
safeguards.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on July 31, 2017.
Victor Wicklund,
Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-17071 Filed 8-11-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P