[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 207 (Friday, October 29, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 59839-59840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23552]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 207 / Friday, October 29, 2021 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 59839]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2021-0906; Special Conditions No. 25-792-SC]


Special Conditions: Honeywell, Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 
Airplane; Electronic System Security Protection From Unauthorized 
External Access

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (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 Honeywell, 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 provides wireless data download capability from the engine 
electronic control unit to Honeywell cloud-based storage. 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 Honeywell on October 29, 2021. Send 
comments on or before December 13, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2021-0906 using 
any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to https://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 https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal 
information you provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing 
each substantive verbal contact received about these special 
conditions.
    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 these special 
conditions contain commercial or financial information that is 
customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and 
that is relevant or responsive to these special conditions, 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 these special conditions. Send submissions containing CBI to 
the Information Contact below. Comments the FAA receives, which are not 
specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for 
these special conditions.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
https://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, 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 has determined that prior public notice and comment 
are unnecessary, and finds that, for the same reason, good cause exists 
for adopting these special conditions upon publication in the Federal 
Register.

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 February 24, 2020, Honeywell applied for a supplemental type 
certificate for installation of the Honeywell Connected Engine Data 
Access System (CEDAS) 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 business jet 
with a passenger capacity of 16 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, Honeywell must show that the Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10

[[Page 59840]]

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 Feature

    The Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 airplane, as modified by 
Honeywell, will incorporate the following novel or unusual design 
feature:
    Installation of the Honeywell Connected Engine Data Access System 
(CEDAS) which provides wireless data download capability from the 
engine's electronic control unit (ECU) to Honeywell cloud-based 
storage. CEDAS allows maintenance personnel to wirelessly connect to 
the ECUs and allows autonomous engine data uploads to cloud data 
services over WiFi.

Discussion

    The Honeywell supplemental type certificate for the Bombardier 
Model BD-100-1A10 airplane design adds the Connected Engine Data Access 
System (CEDAS) architecture which is novel for commercial transport 
category airplanes. CEDAS 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 (networks, systems, and 
databases). The installation of CEDAS may result in network security 
vulnerabilities from intentional or unintentional corruption of data 
and systems required for the operations 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 Honeywell 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 Honeywell. 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

    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 Bombardier Model BD-100-1A10 
airplane, as modified by Honeywell, 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 Kansas City, Missouri, on October 25, 2021.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-23552 Filed 10-28-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P