[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 163 (Thursday, August 22, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43674-43676]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-18061]
[[Page 43674]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2019-0283; Special Conditions No. 25-326A-SC]
Special Conditions: Airbus Model A380 Airplanes; Stairways
Between Decks
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final amended special conditions.
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SUMMARY: These amended special conditions are issued for the Airbus
Model A380 airplane. By issuance of this amendment to the special
condition, the FAA is correcting an error that appeared in the Federal
Register on August 28, 2006, for Special Conditions No. 25-326-SC,
Docket No. NM314. This airplane will have novel or unusual design
features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the
airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design
feature is associated with the complex systems and the configuration of
the airplane, including its full-length double deck. 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: Effective September 23, 2019.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Jacquet, Airframe and Cabin Safety
Section, AIR-675, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;
telephone and fax 206-231-3208; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Airbus requested an amendment to Special Condition No. 25-326-SC in
letter L2578ME1831060 revision 1, dated November 21, 2018. This letter
states:
The Special Conditions applicable to the stairways on full-
length double-deck airplane were extensively discussed in the Very
Large Transport Aircraft conference, on October 1998 in
Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands and in the Cabin Safety Meeting
between FAA, EASA, and Airbus, held in Hamburg, Feb. 25, 2003. In
the latter meeting, the Special Conditions have been aligned.
However, Airbus noticed that the Special Conditions for the
availability of stairs published in the Federal Register (Special
Condition No. 25-326-SC from September 11, 2006) require more when
compared to Special Conditions of IP-C1 Stage 4 Airbus received June
13, 2003.
Special Condition No. 25-326-SC reads:
a. At least one stairway between decks must meet the following
requirements: The stairway accommodates the carriage of an
incapacitated person from one deck to the other. The crew member
procedures for such carriage must be established.
b. There must be at least two stairways between decks that meet
the following requirements: The stairways must be designed such that
evacuees can achieve an adequate rate for going down or going up
under probable emergency conditions, including a condition in which
a person falls or is incapacitated while on a stairway. One of the
stairways must be the stairway specified in paragraph a. above.
For whatever reasons, the consideration of the condition in
which a person falls or is incapacitated while on the stairs re-
appears. Resulting from the A380 Certification Meeting held in
Hamburg this was agreed to be not required by the IP.
It was the FAA position that this type of demonstration is not
required for the main passenger aisle in the airplane and therefore
should not be required for the stairways.
The Stage 4 of the IP-C1, dated February 25, 2003 received for
A380 Type Certificate thus reads as follows:
A. At least two stairways between decks must meet the following
requirements:
(1) At least one of the stairways must accommodate the carriage
of an incapacitated person from one deck to the other. The crew
member procedures for such a carriage must be established.
(2) The stairways must be designed such that evacuees can be
shown to achieve an adequate rate, for going down or going up, under
probable emergency conditions.
All further Special Conditions published in the Federal Register
(Sec. Sec. c though e) are identical to the Special Conditions of
the IP (Sec. Sec. B though D), however using a different wording.
Since the IP-C1, Stage 4 is the bilateral agreement between FAA
and Airbus, and the Federal Register is available to the public,
Airbus would appreciate the correction of the Special Condition
published in the Federal Register under 25-326-SC. This would avoid
any misunderstanding in the A380 future.
During initial discussions with Airbus regarding the special
conditions, the FAA had included a requirement that the stairways be
designed such that evacuees can achieve an adequate rate going down or
up under probable emergency conditions, including a condition in which
a person falls or is incapacitated while on the stairway. Airbus agreed
with the requirement except for the portion pertaining to a person
falling or being incapacitated. The FAA documented agreement with
Airbus's position. Unfortunately the special conditions were issued
with the FAA's initial proposal rather than the final agreement, and
stated that the stairs be designed such that evacuees can achieve an
adequate rate going up or down the stairs under probable emergency
conditions including a condition in which a person falls or is
incapacitated while on the stairway.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Airbus must show that the
Model A380 airplane meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25,
as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-98. If the Administrator finds
that the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate
or appropriate safety standards for the Airbus Model A380 airplane
because of novel or unusual design features, special conditions are
prescribed under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.16.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Airbus Model A380 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.
Special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, are issued in
accordance with 14 CFR 11.38 and become part of the type certification
basis in accordance with 14 CFR 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 novel or
unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the
other model under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Airbus Model A380 airplane will incorporate the following novel
or unusual design features: This airplane has a full-length double
deck. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness
regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards
regarding stairways between decks.
Discussion
The Model A380 airplane incorporates seating on two full-length
passenger decks, each of which has the capacity of a typical wide body
airplane. Two staircases, one located in the front of the cabin and one
located in the rear, allow for the movement of persons between decks.
With large seating capacities on the main deck and the upper deck of
the Model A380 airplane, the staircases need to be able to support
movement between decks in an inflight emergency. In addition, although
[[Page 43675]]
compliance with the evacuation demonstration requirements of Sec.
25.803 does not depend on the use of stairs, there must be a way for
passengers on one deck to move to the other deck during an emergency
evacuation. This need must be addressed in the certification of the
airplane.
The regulations governing the certification of the Model A380
airplane do not adequately address a passenger airplane with two
separate full-length decks for passengers. The Boeing Model 747 and the
Lockheed Model L-1011 airplanes were certificated with limited seating
capacity on two separate decks, and special conditions were issued to
certificate those arrangements. When the seating capacity of the upper
deck of the Boeing Model 747 airplane exceeded 24 passengers, the FAA
issued Special Conditions 25-61-NW-1 for a maximum seating capacity of
32 passengers on the upper deck for take-off and landing. A second set
of Special Conditions, 25-71-NW-3, was issued to cover airplanes with a
maximum seating capacity of 45 passengers on the upper deck for take-
off and landing. That second set of Special Conditions was later
modified to address airplanes with a maximum seating capacity of 110
passengers on the upper deck. These previously issued special
conditions provided a starting point for the development of special
conditions for the Model A380 airplane.
In the case of both the Model L-1011 and the Model 747 airplanes,
the special conditions were based on the requirements and associated
level of safety in place at the time of application for type
certificate. The requirements and the level of safety have improved
significantly since that time, and these special conditions reflect
those improvements.
In addition to the requirements of Sec. Sec. 25.803 and 25.811
through 25.813, special conditions are needed to address the movement
of passengers between the two full-length decks on the Model A380
airplane. These special conditions provide additional requirements for
the stairways to ensure the safe passage of occupants between decks
during moderate turbulence, an inflight emergency, or an emergency
evacuation.
The 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.
Discussion of Comments
The FAA issued Notice of Proposed Amended Special Conditions No.
25-19-04-SC for the Airbus Model A380 airplane, which was published in
the Federal Register on May 3, 2019 (84 FR 18997). The FAA received a
response from one commenter.
The commenter feels that stairwells should be designed for ingress
and egress above the minimum standards identified in the special
condition. However, the commenter did not propose any additional
standard that Airbus should meet nor specify why meeting the minimum
standards, of the special condition, was unsafe. As a result, no
changes have been made to the special condition.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Airbus Model A380 airplane. Should Airbus apply at a later date for a
change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating
the same novel or unusual design features, these special conditions
would apply to that model as well under the provisions of Sec. 21.101.
Conclusion
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features
of the Airbus Model A380 airplane. It is not a rule of general
applicability.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Authority Citation
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.
The Special Conditions
0
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 the Airbus Model A380 airplane.
Airbus Model A380, Stairways Between Decks
1. At least one stairway between decks must meet the following
requirements:
The stairway accommodates the carriage of an incapacitated person
from one deck to the other. The crew member procedures for such
carriage must be established.
2. There must be at least two stairways between decks that meet the
following requirements: The stairways must be designed such that
evacuees can achieve an adequate rate for going down or going up under
probable emergency conditions. One of the stairways must be the
stairway specified in paragraph 1. above.
3. Each stairway between decks must meet the following
requirements:
a. It must have an entrance, exit, and gradient characteristics
that, with the assistance of a crew member, would allow the passengers
of one deck to merge with passengers of the other deck during an
evacuation and exit the airplane. These entrance, exit, and gradient
characteristics must occur with the airplane in level attitude and in
each attitude resulting from the collapse of any one or more legs of
the landing gear. These requirements must be demonstrated by tests or
analysis.
b. The stairway must have a handrail on at least one side in order
to allow people to steady themselves during foreseeable conditions,
including but not limited to the condition of gear collapse on the
ground and moderate turbulence in flight. The handrails must be
constructed so that there will be no obstruction on them which will
cause the user to release their grip on the handrail, or will hinder
the continuous movement of the hands along the handrail. Handrails must
be terminated in a manner which will not obstruct pedestrian travel or
create a hazard. Adequacy of the design must be demonstrated by using
persons representative of the 5% female and the 95% male.
c. The stairway must be designed and located to minimize damage to
it during an emergency landing or ditching.
d. The stairway must have a wall or the equivalent on each side to
minimize the risk of falling and to facilitate use of the stairway
under conditions of abnormal airplane attitude.
e. Treads and landings must be designed and demonstrated to be free
of hazard. The landing area at each deck level must be demonstrated to
be adequate in terms of flow rate for the maximum number of people that
will be using the stair in an emergency. Treads and risers must be
designed to ensure an easy and safe use of the stairway.
f. General emergency illumination must be provided so that, when
measured along the centerlines of each tread and landing-, the
illumination is not less than 0.05 foot-candle.
g. In normal operation, the general illumination level must not be
less than 0.05 foot-candles. The assessment must be done under daylight
and dark of night conditions.
h. Both stairway ends must be indicated by an exit sign visible to
passengers when in the stairway. This exit sign must meet the
requirements of Sec. 25.812(b)(1)(ii).
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i. A floor-proximity path-marking system, which meets the
requirements of Sec. 25.812(e), must be available to guide passengers
in the stairway to the stairway ends. It must not direct the occupants
of the cabin to the stair entrance.
j. The public address system must be audible in the stairway during
all flight phases.
k. ``No smoking'' and ``return to seat'' signs must be installed
and must be visible in the stairway both going up and down, and at the
stairway entrances.
4. Cabin crew procedures and positions must be established to
manage the use of the stairs on the ground and in flight under both
normal and emergency situations. This may require that cabin crew
members have specific dedicated duties for the management of the stairs
during emergency and precautionary evacuations.
5. It should not be hazardous for crew members or passengers who
are returning to their seats to use the stairways during moderate
turbulence.
Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on August 16, 2019.
Mary A. Schooley,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-18061 Filed 8-21-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P