[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 239 (Thursday, December 16, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 71372-71373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-27188]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 107
[Docket No. FAA-2021-1158; Notice No. 107-21-01-NOA]
Accepted Means of Compliance; Operations Over Human Beings,
Category 2 and Category 3 Small Unmanned Aircraft
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notification of availability.
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SUMMARY: This document announces the acceptance of a means of
compliance (MOC) in accordance with a rule issued by the FAA on January
21, 2021, and went into effect on April 21, 2021. The Administrator
finds the Virginia Tech
[[Page 71373]]
Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (VT MAAP) MOC Version 1.0 an
acceptable means, but not the only means, of demonstrating compliance
with the requirements of Category 2 and Category 3 small unmanned
aircraft systems (small UAS) operations over people.
DATES: December 16, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
FAA Contact: Jeffrey Bergson, Production and Airworthiness Systems,
AIR-632, Systems Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division,
Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, AIR-
600: 800 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone 206-231-
3661; email: [email protected]; telephone 1-844-FLY-MYUA; email:
[email protected].
VT MAAP Contact: Robert Briggs, UAS Chief Engineer, 1991 Kraft
Drive, Suite 2018, Blacksburg, VA 24061, (540) 231-9373;
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The FAA published Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, part 107,
subpart D permitting the routine operation of small UAS at night or
over people under certain conditions. Subpart D also provides aircraft
eligibility and operating requirements for categories of operations
over people. When promulgated, this rule was the next step in the FAA's
incremental approach to integrating UAS into the national airspace
system, based on demands for increased operational flexibility and the
experience the FAA has gained since it initially published part 107.
To satisfy the eligibility requirements of part 107, subpart D, a
small unmanned aircraft must meet the performance-based safety
requirements of Sec. 107.120(a) for operations in Category 2 or the
performance-based safety requirements of Sec. 107.130(a) for
operations in Category 3 or both by following an FAA-accepted MOC. An
FAA-accepted MOC addresses the minimum testing, inspection, or analysis
necessary to demonstrate compliance with the safety requirements.
An acceptable MOC must consist of test, analysis, or inspection. It
must address the injury severity limits, the exposed rotating parts
prohibition, and verification that there are no safety defects. The FAA
must accept a MOC before an applicant can rely on it to declare
compliance with part 107, subpart D requirements. In addition, the FAA
indicates acceptance of a MOC by publishing a Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register identifying the MOC as accepted and by informing
the applicant of its acceptance.\1\
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\1\ Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Over People, 86
FR 4314 (January 15, 2021), available at https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2018-1087-0968.
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Means of Compliance Accepted in This Policy
VT MAAP published the Operation of Small UAS Over People MOC
Version 1.0 on October 20, 2021. The FAA has acknowledged VT MAAP's
performance-based MOC as an acceptable MOC to the requirements of Sec.
107.120(a) for operations in Category 2, or the requirements of Sec.
107.130(a) for operations in Category 3.
To utilize this MOC, an applicant should provide the VT MAAP
Federal Aviation Administration designated UAS Test Site with data on
the small unmanned aircraft. VT MAAP Test Site utilizes this
information to conduct a safety defect and failure assessment. This
assessment will determine the required testing to assess the small
unmanned aircraft's impact injury severity and laceration potential.
The VT MAAP Test Site will conduct the necessary testing and document
the results. Lastly, VT MAAP conducts a final safety and compliance
review to determine the small unmanned aircraft compliance with Sec.
107.120(a) or Sec. 107.130(a) as applicable. VT MAAP provides the
results of this process to the applicant for inclusion in a Declaration
of Compliance.
Availability
This notice serves as a formal acceptance by the Federal Aviation
Administrator of the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership's
Means of Compliance Version 1.0.
Issued in Washington, DC, on December 10, 2021.
Brian E. Cable,
Manager, Systems Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-27188 Filed 12-15-21; 8:45 am]
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