[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 206 (Thursday, October 26, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 49492-49494]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-23256]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2017-0862; Special Conditions No. 25-703-SC]


Special Conditions: Boeing Model 777-300ER Airplanes; Passenger-
Cabin High-Wall Suites

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for Boeing Model 777-300ER 
airplanes with high-wall suites installed in the passenger cabin. This 
installation is novel or unusual, and the applicable airworthiness 
regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for 
this interior configuration. 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 Boeing on October 26, 2017. Send 
your comments by December 11, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2017-0862 
using any of the following methods:
    [ssquf] Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending 
your comments electronically.
    [ssquf] 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.
    [ssquf] 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.
    [ssquf] 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: John Shelden, Airframe and Cabin 
Safety Section, AIR-675, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue 
SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone 425-227-2785; facsimile 
425-227-1232; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The substance of these special conditions 
has been subject 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, because a delay would significantly affect the certification 
of the airplane, the FAA has determined that prior public notice and 
comment are unnecessary and impracticable.
    In addition, since 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 finds it unnecessary to 
delay the effective date and finds that good cause exists for adopting 
these special conditions upon publication in the Federal Register.

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 December 19, 2014, Boeing applied for a type certificate design 
change to Type Certificate (TC) No. T00001SE to install high-wall 
suites in the passenger compartment of Boeing Model 777-300ER 
airplanes.
    The Model 777 series airplane is a swept-wing, conventional-tail, 
twin-engine, turbofan- powered, transport-category airplane. The 
airplane has seating for 365 passengers and a maximum takeoff weight of 
775,000 pounds.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Boeing must show that the Model 777-300ER airplane, as 
changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations 
listed in Type Certificate No. T00001SE 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 Boeing Model 777-300ER airplane 
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 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 Boeing Model 777-300ER 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.
    The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in 
accordance with Sec.  11.38, and they become part of

[[Page 49493]]

the type-certification basis under Sec.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Boeing Model 777-300ER airplane will incorporate the following 
novel or unusual design features:
    A passenger cabin with six high-wall suites arranged in two rows of 
three suites each.

Discussion

    The Boeing Model 777-300ER airplane will include, as a customer 
option, a passenger cabin with six high-wall suites arranged in two 
rows of three suites each, in a 1-1-1 configuration. The suites have 
doors and walls that are taller than has been previously certified by 
the FAA on Boeing 777 series airplanes. The walls extend from the floor 
to the ceiling or close to the ceiling.
    The characteristics of the suite design are unique such that the 
suites are not fully open to the cabin, as are conventional mini-suites 
with partial-height surrounds, and they are not remote from the main 
cabin, as are overhead crew rests. Likewise, unique but suitable fire-
protection requirements for smoke detection and firefighting are needed 
for this configuration. Furthermore, the proposed suite design 
necessitates the development of additional conditions that do not 
currently exist within associated airworthiness standards, including, 
but not limited to, alerting and lighting when oxygen masks are needed, 
crew procedures for managing hazards and suite occupants, and 
maintaining cabin-egress route dimensions after deformations of the 
walls and seats.
    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 the 
Boeing Model 777-300ER airplane with high-wall, single-occupant suites 
with doors installed. Should Boeing 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 that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on one model series of airplane. 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, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the 
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of 
the type certification basis for Boeing Model 777-300ER airplanes.
    Note: In these special conditions, ``suite'' means high-wall suite.
    1. Where suites are installed, a supplemental oxygen system must 
provide the following:
    a. The supplemental oxygen system for each suite must include a 
minimum of two oxygen masks and meet the same 14 CFR part 25 
regulations as do the supplemental oxygen system for the main 
passenger-cabin occupants.
    b. An aural alert to warn occupants and to indicate the need to don 
oxygen masks in the event of decompression. The aural alert must 
activate concurrently with deployment of the oxygen masks in the main 
passenger cabin.
    c. The illumination level of the normal suite lighting system must 
be activated automatically and must be sufficient for each occupant to 
locate a deployed oxygen mask.
    d. If a chemical oxygen generator is used as the oxygen supply 
source, the suite oxygen installation must meet Sec. Sec.  25.795(d) 
and 25.1450.
    2. A smoke-detection or fire-detection system (or systems) must be 
provided that monitors each occupiable space within the suite. Flight 
tests must be conducted to show compliance with this requirement. If a 
fire occurs, each system (or systems) in the affected suite must 
provide:
    a. A visual indication to the flight deck within one minute after 
the start of a fire.
    b. An aural warning in the suite area where detection has occurred.
    c. A warning in the main passenger cabin. This warning must be 
readily detectable by a flight attendant, taking into consideration the 
locations of flight attendants throughout the main passenger 
compartment during various phases of flight.
    3. Passenger-management procedures must be provided should 
occupants need to be moved in the event of smoke detection, or 
firefighting within the suite or where suites are installed:
    a. A limitation must be included in the airplane flight manual 
(AFM) or other suitable means requiring that crewmembers be trained in 
the suite passenger-management procedures.
    b. Approved procedures describing methods for suite passenger 
management must be established. These procedures must be transmitted to 
the operator for incorporation into its training programs and 
appropriate operational manuals.
    4. The design of each suite, and the location of the firefighting 
equipment where suites are installed, must allow the crewmembers to 
conduct effective firefighting in the suite. For a manual, hand-held 
extinguishing system (designed as the sole means to fight a fire) for 
the suite:
    a. A limitation must be included in the AFM or other suitable means 
requiring that crewmembers be trained in the firefighting procedures.
    b. Each suite design must allow crewmembers equipped for 
firefighting to have unrestricted access to all parts of the suite 
compartment.
    c. The time for a crewmember in the main passenger cabin to react 
to the fire alarm and gain access to the suite must not exceed the time 
it would take for the compartment to become filled with smoke, thus 
making it difficult to locate the fire source(s).
    d. Approved procedures describing methods for searching the suite 
compartment for fire source(s) must be established. These procedures 
must be transmitted to the operator for incorporation into its training 
programs and appropriate operational manuals.
    5. A means must be provided to prevent hazardous quantities of 
smoke or extinguishing agent originating in each suite from entering 
any other occupiable compartments.
    a. Small quantities of smoke may penetrate from the suite into 
other occupied areas during the one-minute smoke detection time.
    b. Hazardous quantities of smoke may not enter any occupied 
compartment during access to manually fight a fire in the suite. A 
small amount of smoke may enter the occupied compartments while a 
firefighter enters and exits the suite, and is not considered hazardous 
provided the smoke dissipates quickly.
    c. Flight tests must be conducted to show compliance with this 
requirement.
    6. If waste-disposal receptacles are fitted in the suite, the suite 
must be equipped with an automatic fire-extinguishing system that meets 
the performance requirements of Sec.  25.854(b).
    7. Each stowage compartment in the suite must be completely 
enclosed. All enclosed stowage compartments within the suite 
compartment that are not

[[Page 49494]]

limited to stowage of emergency equipment or airplane- supplied 
equipment (i.e., bedding) must meet the design criteria described in 
the table below. Enclosed stowage compartments greater than 57 feet 3 
inches cubic interior volume are not permitted by these special 
conditions.

   Design Criteria for Enclosed Stowage Compartments Not Limited to Stowage of Emergency or Airplane-Supplied
                                                    Equipment
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                                            Applicability of fire-protection requirements by interior volume
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       Fire protection features          Less than  25 cubic     25 Cubic feet to  less
                                                 feet              than 57 Cubic feet         57 cubic feet
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Compliant Materials of Construction    Yes....................  Yes....................  Yes.
 \1\.
Smoke or Fire Detectors \2\..........  No.....................  Yes....................  Yes.
Liner \3\............................  No.....................  Conditional............  Yes.
Fire Location Detector \4\...........  No.....................  Yes....................  Yes.
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\1\ Compliant Materials of Construction: The material used in constructing each enclosed stowage compartment
  must at least be fire resistant and must meet the flammability standards established for interior components
  (i.e., 14 CFR part 25 Appendix F, Parts I, IV, and V) per the requirements of Sec.   25.853. For compartments
  less than 25 ft.3 in interior volume, the design must ensure the ability to contain a fire likely to occur
  within the compartment under normal use.
\2\ Smoke or Fire Detectors: Enclosed stowage compartments equal to or exceeding 25 ft.3 in interior volume must
  be provided with a smoke- or fire-detection system to ensure that a fire can be detected within a one-minute
  detection time. Flight tests must be conducted to show compliance with this requirement. Each system (or
  systems) must provide:
[ballot] A visual indication in the flight deck within one minute after the start of a fire.
[ballot] An aural warning in the suite compartment.
[ballot] A warning in the main passenger cabin. This warning must be readily detectable by a flight attendant,
  taking into consideration the locations of flight attendants throughout the main passenger compartment during
  various phases of flight.
\3\ Liner: If material used in constructing the stowage compartment can be shown to meet the flammability
  requirements of a liner for a Class B cargo compartment (i.e., Sec.   25.855 at Amendment 25-116, and Appendix
  F, part I, paragraph (a)(2)(ii)), then no liner would be required for enclosed stowage compartments equal to
  or greater than 25 ft.3 but less than 57 ft.3 in interior volume. For all enclosed stowage compartments equal
  to 57 ft.3 in interior volume, a liner must be provided that meets the requirements of Sec.   25.855 for a
  Class B cargo compartment.
\4\ Fire Location Detector: If a suite compartment has enclosed stowage compartments exceeding 25 ft.3 interior
  volume that are located separately from the other stowage compartments (located, for example, away from one
  central location, such as the entry to the suite compartment or a common area within the suite compartment,
  where the other stowage compartments are), that suite compartment would require additional fire-protection
  features and/or devices to assist the firefighter in determining the location of a fire.

    8. Where suites are installed, the design of each suite must:
    a. Maintain minimum main aisle(s), cross aisle(s), and 
passageway(s) requirements of Sec.  25.815 when subjected to the 
ultimate inertia forces listed in Sec.  25.561(d).
    b. Prevent structural failure or deformation of components that 
could block access to the available evacuation routes (e.g., seats, 
doors, contents of stowage compartments, etc.).
    9. In addition to the requirements of Sec.  25.562 for seat 
systems, which are occupiable during taxi, takeoff, and landing, the 
suite structure must be designed for the additional loads imposed by 
the seats as a result of the conditions specified in Sec.  25.562(b).

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 19, 2017.
Suzanne Masterson,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-23256 Filed 10-25-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P