[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 62 (Tuesday, March 31, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17786-17788]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-06362]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2019-1102; Notice No. 25-20-03-SC]
Special Conditions: Qantas Airways Limited, Boeing Model 737-800
Airplane; Personal Electronic-Device Straps Installed on Seat Backs
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.
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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Boeing Model
737-800 airplane. This airplane, as modified by Qantas Airways Limited
(Qantas), 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 is personal
electronic-device (PED) retention straps installed on the backs of
passenger seats. 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 comments on or before May 15, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2019-1102 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 website, 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.
[[Page 17787]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Shelden, 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 206-231-3214; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
The FAA invites 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.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for
comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the
comments received.
Background
On June 12, 2019, Qantas applied for a supplemental type
certificate to install PED retention straps on passenger seat backs in
Boeing Model 737-800 airplanes. The Boeing Model 737-800 airplane is a
twin-engine transport airplane with seating for 189 passengers, and a
maximum takeoff weight of 174,200 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Qantas must show that the Boeing Model 737-800 series
airplane, as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of
the regulations incorporated by reference in Type Certificate No.
A16WE, or the applicable regulations in effect on the date of
application for the change.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Boeing Model 737-800 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 applicant apply for a supplemental type
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type
certificate 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 737-800 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 the type
certification basis under Sec. 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Boeing Model 737-800 airplane, as modified by Qantas, will
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature:
Personal electronic-device (PED) retention straps installed on the
backs of passenger seats.
Discussion
In recent years, PEDs have been known to cause smoke and fires
inside the fuselage due to the PED falling into areas of the cabin
where it cannot be retrieved. The installation of a PED retention strap
is intended to reduce the possibly of smoke or fire in flight due to
PED loss throughout the cabin.
The addition of a PED strap on the backs of passenger seats will be
a functional design feature to enable passengers to view their own
device without losing them throughout the cabin. The PED strap's
practical use is envisaged particularly during the meal service where
meal tray space is limited.
Tablet devices and related PED designs are continually evolving, so
it is challenging to find a suitable method of retention. These special
conditions address the design and integration of a PED strap installed
onto the back of the headrest cover of the B/E Aerospace Millennium (J
class) and B/E Aerospace Innovator II (Y class) seats. The PED strap
will allow passengers to view a tablet device without having to hold
the device during the inflight phase. The PED strap must not be used
during taxi, takeoff, and landing. The PED strap is also subject to
certain load limits to ensure the strap can accommodate different PED
sizes.
The 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
Boeing Model 737-800 airplane, as modified by Qantas. Should Qantas
apply at a later date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any
other model included on Type Certificate No. A16WE to incorporate the
same novel or unusual design feature, 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 airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability
and affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of
these features on the airplane.
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 Proposed Special Conditions
0
Accordingly, the FAA proposes the following special conditions as part
of the type certification basis for Boeing Model 737-800 airplanes, as
modified by Qantas.
1. The PED strap must meet the requirements of Sec. 3.1 (Abuse
Loads) of SAE International Aerospace Recommended Practice ``Aircraft
Seat Design Guidance and Clarifications'' document no. ARP5526C.
2. The limitations section of the airplane flight manual must
prohibit use of PED straps during taxi, takeoff, and landing phases of
flight. Operational procedures may be used to achieve this.
3. A means must be provided to limit the use of the PED strap to
passenger tablets and related PEDs. Placards may be used to achieve
this.
4. The PED strap must be designed to support a 2.2-pound (1.0 Kg)
PED.
5. Placards indicating the 2.2-pound (1.0 Kg) load limit of the PED
straps must be conspicuously posted.
6. The PED straps must not impede egress, including in emergency-
exit passageways.
7. Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) must be
incorporated into the design, including wear and stretch limitations,
to ensure that strap wear is detected.
a. PED straps must be inspected every 4,000 flight hours to ensure
that strap retraction and PED retention are maintained.
b. The strap must not protrude beyond the dress cover by more than
1 inch (2.54 cm) to ensure that passengers do not use the strap as a
handle.
c. Defective head-rest covers must be changed in accordance with B/
E Aerospace component maintenance manual (CMM) 25-20-82 (Millennium J
[[Page 17788]]
Class Seats) and CMM 25-21-42 (Innovator II Y Class Seats). Reference:
Qantas Engineering Controlled Report C7246--B738 +6Y Reconfiguration
2015--Instruction for Continued Airworthiness.
Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on March 20, 2020.
James E. Wilborn,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-06362 Filed 3-30-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P