[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 173 (Friday, September 4, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55198-55200]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18309]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 173 / Friday, September 4, 2020 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 55198]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0404; Notice No. 25-20-04-SC]


Special Conditions: B/E Aerospace, Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 
(604 Variant) Airplane; Seats With Pretensioner Restraint Systems

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 CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane. This 
airplane, as modified by B/E Aerospace, 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 seats with a 3-point shoulder harness incorporating a 
pretensioner restraint system. 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 October 19, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2020-0404 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Lennon, 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 206-231-3209; 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 7, 2019, B/E Aerospace applied for a supplemental type 
certificate for seats with 3-point harness and pretensioner restraint 
systems in Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplanes. The 
604 variant is a derivative of the Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 
airplane currently approved under Type Certificate No. A21EA. This 
airplane variant is a twin-engine, transport category airplane with 
seating for 22 passengers, including crew, and a maximum take-off 
weight of 47,600 pounds.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, B/E Aerospace must show that the Bombardier Model CL-600-
2B16 (604 variant) airplane, as changed, continues to meet the 
applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. 
A21EA 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 (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 
variant) 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 Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) 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.

[[Page 55199]]

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplane will 
incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: Seats with 
a 3-point shoulder harness incorporating a pretensioner restraint 
system to prevent head injuries.

Discussion

    B/E Aerospace has developed a system in which a pretensioning 
automotive retractor eliminates slack in the 3-point shoulder harness, 
pulling the occupant back into the seat prior to impact. This has the 
effect of reducing forward translation of the occupant (reduced head 
arc), while reducing the loads in the shoulder harness. B/E Aerospace 
will install, in Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplanes, 
seats that incorporate a 3-point harness and pretensioner restraint 
system to protect seat occupants from head injuries.
    Over the past 10 years, multiple sensor-driven systems have been 
installed in various airplanes to meet improved crashworthiness 
regulations. A sensor-driven system is defined as any system that 
activates due to a signal sent by an impact-triggered inertial sensor. 
These types of systems include a lap-belt airbag, a structure-mounted 
airbag, and a 3-point harness and pretensioner restraint system.
    Shoulder harnesses have been widely used on flight-attendant seats, 
flight-deck seats, in business jets, and in general-aviation airplanes 
to reduce occupant head injury in the unlikely event of an emergency 
landing. Special conditions, pertinent regulations, and guidance have 
been published, relating to other or existing restraint systems. 
However, the use of a pretensioner restraint system with a 3-point 
harness on transport airplane seats is a novel design.
    Pretensioner technology involves a step change in loading 
experienced by the occupant for impacts below and above that at which 
the device activates, because the upper torso excursion would be 
interrupted by activation of the shoulder harness. This could result in 
the head-injury criteria being higher at an intermediate impact 
condition than that resulting from the maximum impact condition 
corresponding to the test conditions specified in Sec.  25.562.
    The ideal triangular maximum-severity pulse is defined in Advisory 
Circular 25.562-1B Dynamic Evaluation of Seat Restraint Systems and 
Occupant Protection on Transport Airplanes with Change 1, dated January 
10, 2006. For evaluating and testing less-severe pulses to assess the 
effectiveness of the pretensioner setting, a similar triangular pulse 
should be used with acceleration, rise time, and velocity change scaled 
accordingly. The magnitude of the required pulse should not deviate 
below the ideal pulse by more than 0.5g until 1.33 t1 is 
reached, where t1 represents the time interval between 0 and 
t1 on the referenced pulse shape as shown in AC 25.562-1B. 
This is an acceptable method of compliance to the test requirements of 
these special conditions.
    Additionally, the pretensioner might not provide protection, after 
actuation, during secondary impacts. Therefore, the case where a small 
impact is followed by a large impact should be addressed. If the 
minimum deceleration severity at which the pretensioner is set to 
activate is unnecessarily low, the protection offered by the 
pretensioner may be lost by the time a second larger impact occurs.
    The existing regulations do not adequately address seats with 
pretensioner restraint systems. Therefore, the proposed configuration 
requires special conditions.
    Special conditions 1 through 5 address ensuring that the 
pretensioner system activates when intended, to provide the necessary 
protection of occupants. This includes protection of a range of 
occupants under various accident conditions. Special conditions 6 
through 11 address maintenance and reliability of the pretensioner 
system, including any outside influences on the mechanism, to ensure it 
functions as intended.
    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 CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplanes as modified by B/E 
Aerospace. Should B/E Aerospace apply at a later date for a 
supplemental type certificate to modify any other model included on 
Type Certificate No. A21EA 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, and 
44704.

The Proposed Special Conditions

    Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the 
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis 
for Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (604 variant) airplanes as modified by 
B/E Aerospace.
    In addition to the requirements of Sec. Sec.  25.562, forward-
facing passenger seats incorporating pretensioner restraint systems 
must meet the following:
    1. Head Injury Criteria--The Head Injury Criteria value must not 
exceed 1,000 units at any condition at which the pretensioner does or 
does not deploy, up to the maximum severity pulse that corresponds to 
the test conditions specified in Sec.  25.562. Tests must be performed 
to demonstrate this, taking into account any necessary tolerances for 
deployment.
    2. Protection during Secondary Impacts--The pretensioner activation 
setting must be demonstrated to maximize the probability of the 
protection being available when needed, considering secondary impacts.
    3. Protection of Occupants Other than 50th Percentile--Protection 
of occupants for a range of stature from a 2-year-old child to a 95th 
percentile male must be shown. For shoulder harnesses that include 
pretensioners, protection of occupants other than a 50th percentile 
male may be shown by test or analysis. In addition, the pretensioner 
must not introduce a hazard to passengers due to the following seating 
configurations:
    a. The seat occupant is holding an infant.
    b. The seat occupant is a child in a child restraint device.
    c. The seat occupant is a pregnant woman.
    4. Occupants Adopting the Brace Position--Occupants in the 
traditional brace position when the pretensioner activates must not 
experience adverse effects from the pretensioner activation.
    5. Inadvertent Pretensioner Actuation
    a. The probability of inadvertent pretensioner actuation must be 
shown to be extremely remote (i.e., average

[[Page 55200]]

probability per flight hour of less than 10-7).
    b. The system must be shown not susceptible to inadvertent 
pretensioner actuation as a result of wear and tear, or inertia loads 
resulting from in-flight or ground maneuvers likely to be experienced 
in service.
    c. The seated occupant must not be seriously injured as a result of 
inadvertent pretensioner actuation.
    d. Inadvertent pretensioner activation must not cause a hazard to 
the airplane nor cause serious injury to anyone who may be positioned 
close to the retractor or belt (e.g., seated in an adjacent seat or 
standing adjacent to the seat).
    6. Availability of the Pretensioner Function Prior to Flight--The 
design must provide means for a crewmember to verify the availability 
of the pretensioner function prior to each flight, or the probability 
of failure of the pretensioner function must be demonstrated to be 
extremely remote (i.e., average probability per flight hour of less 
than 10-7) between inspection intervals.
    7. Incorrect Seatbelt Orientation--The system design must ensure 
that any incorrect orientation (twisting) of the seatbelt does not 
compromise the pretensioner protection function.
    8. Contamination Protection--The pretensioner mechanisms and 
controls must be protected from external contamination associated with 
that which could occur on or around passenger seating.
    9. Prevention of Hazards--The pretensioner system must not induce a 
hazard to passengers in case of fire, nor create a fire hazard if 
activated.
    10. Functionality after Loss of Power--The system must function 
properly after loss of normal airplane electrical power, and after a 
transverse separation in the fuselage at the most critical location. A 
separation at the location of the system does not have to be 
considered.
    11. High-intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) and Lightning 
Protection--For airplanes that do not already incorporate 14 CFR 
25.1316 and 25.1317 into their certification basis, the equipment must 
meet the applicable requirements of Sec. Sec.  25.1316 and 25.1317. 
Electrostatic discharge must also be considered in the design and 
testing of the equipment.

    Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on August 14, 2020.
James E. Wilborn,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2020-18309 Filed 9-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P