[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 48 (Monday, March 15, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 14237-14238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05294]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2020-1206; Special Conditions No. 25-781-SC]


Special Conditions: Rockwell Collins, Bombardier Model BD-100-
1A10 Airplane; Electronic-System Security Protection From Unauthorized 
External 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 the Bombardier Model 
BD-100-1A10 airplane. This airplane, as modified by Rockwell Collins, 
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 the installation of a system 
that allows connection to airplane electronic systems and networks, and 
access from aircraft external to the previously isolated internal 
airplane electronic assets. 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 Rockwell Collins on March 15, 2021. 
Send comments on or before April 29, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2020-1206 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: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as 
described in the following paragraph, and other information as 
described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received 
without change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information you provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing 
each substantive verbal contact received about this proposal.
    Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both 
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from 
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this Notice contain 
commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as 
private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or 
responsive to this Notice, it is important that you clearly designate 
the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission 
containing CBI as ``PROPIN.'' The FAA will treat such marked 
submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and the indicated comments 
will not be placed in the public docket of this Notice. Send 
submissions containing CBI to the person indicated in the Contact 
section below. Comments the FAA receives, which are not specifically 
designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for this 
rulemaking.
    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, Aircraft Information 
Systems Section, AIR-622, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy 
and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, 
Washington 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3159; email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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. 
Therefore, the FAA finds, pursuant to 14 CFR 11.38(b), that new 
comments are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication 
are unnecessary.

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 May 3, 2019, Rockwell Collins applied for a supplemental type 
certificate for installation of the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion 
System in the Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplane, requiring security 
protection from unauthorized external access. The Bombardier Model BD-
100-1A10 airplane is a twin-engine, transport-category airplane with a 
passenger capacity of 19 and a maximum takeoff weight of 40,600 pounds.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Rockwell Collins must show that the Bombardier Model BD-
100-1A10

[[Page 14238]]

airplane, as changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of 
the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. T00005NY, 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 BD-100-1A10 
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 BD-100-1A10 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 Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplane, as modified by Rockwell 
Collins, will incorporate the following novel or unusual design 
feature:
    Installation of the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion System, which 
allows connection to airplane electronic systems and networks, and 
access from aircraft external sources (e.g., operator networks, 
wireless devices, internet connectivity, service provider satellite 
communications, electronic flight bags, etc.) to the previously 
isolated airplane electronic assets.

Discussion

    The Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplane architecture and network 
configuration is novel or unusual for commercial transport airplanes 
because it may allow increased connectivity to and access from external 
network sources and airline operations and maintenance networks to the 
airplane control domain and airline information services domain. The 
airplane control domain and airline information-services domain perform 
functions required for the safe operation and maintenance of the 
airplane. Previously, these domains had very limited connectivity with 
external network sources. This data network and design integration 
creates a potential for unauthorized persons to access the aircraft-
control domain and airline information-services domain, and presents 
security vulnerabilities related to the introduction of computer 
viruses and worms, user errors, and intentional sabotage of airplane 
electronic assets (networks, systems, and databases) critical to the 
safety and maintenance of the airplane.
    The existing FAA regulations did not anticipate these networked 
airplane system architectures. Furthermore, these regulations and the 
current guidance material do not address potential security 
vulnerabilities, which could be exploited by unauthorized access to 
airplane networks, data buses, and servers. Therefore, these special 
conditions ensure that the security (i.e., confidentiality, integrity, 
and availability) of airplane systems is not compromised by 
unauthorized wired or wireless electronic connections. This includes 
ensuring that the security of the airplane's systems is not compromised 
during maintenance of the airplane's electronic systems. These special 
conditions also require the applicant to provide appropriate 
instructions to the operator to maintain all electronic-system 
safeguards that have been implemented as part of the original network 
design so that this feature does not allow or reintroduce security 
threats.
    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 
Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplane. Should Rockwell Collins apply at 
a later date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other 
model included on Type Certificate No. T00005NY 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 airplane, as modified by Rockwell Collins. It is not a 
rule of general applicability and affects only the applicant.

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

[squf] 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 Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 
airplanes, as modified by Rockwell Collins, for airplane electronic-
system security protection from unauthorized external access.
    1. The applicant must ensure airplane electronic-system security 
protection from access by unauthorized sources external to the 
airplane, including those possibly caused by maintenance activity.
    2. The applicant must ensure that electronic-system security 
threats are identified and assessed, and that effective electronic-
system security-protection strategies are implemented to protect the 
airplane from all adverse impacts on safety, functionality, and 
continued airworthiness.
    3. 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 Des Moines, Washington, on February 9, 2021.
Suzanne Masterson,
Manager, Transport Airplane Strategic Policy Section, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-05294 Filed 3-12-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P