[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 141 (Monday, July 25, 2022)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 43985-43987]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15837]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 141 / Monday, July 25, 2022 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 43985]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0731; Special Conditions No. 25-826-SC]


Special Conditions: StandardAero Business Aviation Services, LLC, 
Textron Aviation Inc. Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/
800XP Airplanes; Rechargeable Lithium Batteries and Battery Systems

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 Textron Aviation 
Inc., (Textron) Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/800XP 
airplanes. These airplanes, as modified by StandardAero Business 
Aviation Services, LLC, 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 a rechargeable lithium ion battery contained in the Standby 
Attitude Module (SAM). 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 StandardAero Business Aviation 
Services, LLC on July 25, 2022. Send comments on or before September 8, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-0731 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 title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (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 
Nazih Khaouly, Aircraft Systems, AIR-623, 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 206-231-3160; email 
[email protected]. 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: Nazih Khaouly, Aircraft Systems, AIR-
623, 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 206-231-3160; 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 Sec.  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 March 15, 2022, StandardAero Business Aviation Services, LLC 
applied for a supplemental type certificate for a rechargeable lithium 
ion battery contained in the SAM on the Textron Model BAe.125 Series 
800A/800B and Hawker 800/800XP airplanes. The SAM is a self-contained 
situational awareness instrument that provides aircraft attitude, 
altitude, airspeed, and slip indication, and contains a rechargeable 
lithium ion battery. The Textron Model

[[Page 43986]]

BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/800XP airplanes are twin-engine 
transport category business jets, each with a maximum passenger 
capacity of 15 passengers and 2 crewmembers, and a maximum takeoff 
weight of 27,400 pounds.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, StandardAero Business Aviation Services, LLC must show 
that the Textron Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/800XP 
airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the applicable provisions of 
the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A3EU 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 Textron Model BAe.125 Series 800A/
800B and Hawker 800/800XP airplanes 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 Textron Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/
800XP airplanes 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 Textron Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/800XP 
airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design 
feature:
    Installation of a rechargeable lithium ion battery contained in the 
SAM.

Discussion

    Rechargeable lithium batteries are considered to be a novel or 
unusual design feature in transport category airplanes, with respect to 
the requirements in 14 CFR 25.1353. This type of battery has certain 
failure, operational, and maintenance characteristics that differ 
significantly from those of the nickel-cadmium and lead-acid 
rechargeable batteries currently approved for installation on transport 
category airplanes. These batteries introduce higher energy levels into 
airplane systems through new chemical compositions in various battery-
cell sizes and construction. Interconnection of these cells in battery 
packs introduces failure modes that require unique design 
considerations, such as provisions for thermal management.
    Special Condition 1 requires that each individual cell within a 
rechargeable lithium battery be designed to maintain safe temperatures 
and pressures. Special Condition 2 addresses these same issues but for 
the entire battery. Special Condition 2 requires the battery be 
designed to prevent propagation of a thermal event, such as self-
sustained, uncontrolled increases in temperature or pressure from one 
cell to adjacent cells.
    Special Conditions 1 and 2 are intended to ensure that the cells 
and battery are designed to eliminate the potential for uncontrollable 
failures. However, a certain number of failures will occur due to 
various factors beyond the control of the designer. Therefore, other 
special conditions are intended to protect the airplane and its 
occupants if failure occurs.
    Special Conditions 3, 7, and 8 are self-explanatory.
    Special Condition 4 clarifies that the flammable fluid fire-
protection requirements of 14 CFR 25.863 apply to rechargeable lithium 
battery installations. Section 25.863 is applicable to areas of the 
airplane that could be exposed to flammable fluid leakage from airplane 
systems. Rechargeable lithium batteries contain electrolyte that is a 
flammable fluid.
    Special Condition 5 requires each rechargeable lithium battery 
installation to not damage surrounding structure or adjacent systems, 
equipment, or electrical wiring from corrosive fluids or gases that may 
escape in such a way as to cause a major or more severe failure 
condition. Special Condition 6 requires each rechargeable lithium 
battery installation to have provisions to prevent any hazardous effect 
on airplane structure or systems caused by the maximum amount of heat 
it can generate due to any failure of it or its individual cells. The 
means of meeting special conditions 5 and 6 may be the same, but they 
are independent requirements addressing different hazards. Special 
Condition 5 addresses corrosive fluids and gases, whereas Special 
Condition 6 addresses heat.
    Special Condition 9 requires rechargeable lithium batteries to have 
an ``automatic'' means to disconnect their charging source due to the 
fast acting nature of lithium battery chemical reactions. Manual 
intervention would not be timely or effective in mitigating the hazards 
associated with these batteries.
    These special conditions apply to all rechargeable lithium battery 
installations in lieu of 14 CFR 25.1353(b)(1) through (4) at amendment 
25-123, or Sec.  25.1353(c)(1) through (4) at earlier amendments. Those 
regulations will remain in effect for other battery installations on 
these airplanes.
    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 
Textron Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B and Hawker 800/800XP airplanes. 
Should StandardAero Business Aviation Services, LLC apply at a later 
date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other model 
included on Type Certificate No. A3EU 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 these model series of airplanes. It is not a rule of general 
applicability and affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for 
approval of this feature on these airplanes.

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 Textron Model BAe.125 Series 800A/800B 
and Hawker 800/800XP airplanes, as modified by

[[Page 43987]]

StandardAero Business Aviation Services, LLC.

Rechargeable Lithium Battery Installations

    In lieu of Sec.  25.1353(b)(1) through (4) at amendment 25-123, or 
Sec.  25.1353(c)(1) through (4) at earlier amendments, each 
rechargeable lithium battery installation must:
    1. Be designed to maintain safe cell temperatures and pressures 
under all foreseeable operating conditions to prevent fire and 
explosion.
    2. Be designed to prevent the occurrence of self-sustaining, 
uncontrollable increases in temperature or pressure, and automatically 
control the charge rate of each cell to protect against adverse 
operating conditions, such as cell imbalance, back charging, 
overcharging and overheating.
    3. Not emit explosive or toxic gases, either in normal operation or 
as a result of its failure that may accumulate in hazardous quantities 
within the airplane.
    4. Meet the requirements of Sec.  25.863.
    5. Not damage surrounding structure or adjacent systems, equipment, 
or electrical wiring from corrosive fluids or gases that may escape in 
such a way as to cause a major or more-severe failure condition.
    6. Have provisions to prevent any hazardous effect on airplane 
structure or systems caused by the maximum amount of heat it can 
generate due to any failure of it or its individual cells.
    7. Have a failure sensing and warning system to alert the flight 
crew if its failure affects safe operation of the airplane.
    8. Have a monitoring and warning feature that alerts the flightcrew 
when its charge state falls below acceptable levels if its function is 
required for safe operation of the airplane.
    9. Have a means to automatically disconnect from its charging 
source in the event of an over-temperature condition, cell failure or 
battery failure.

    Note: A battery system consists of the battery, battery charger 
and any protective, monitoring and alerting circuitry or hardware 
inside or outside of the battery. It also includes vents (where 
necessary) and packaging. For the purpose of this special condition, 
a battery and battery system are referred to as a battery.


    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 20, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-15837 Filed 7-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P