[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 67 (Friday, April 5, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 23907]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07267]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 67 / Friday, April 5, 2024 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 23907]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 107

[Docket No. FAA-2024-0299]


Accepted Means of Compliance for Small Unmanned Aircraft Category 
2 and Category 3 Operations Over Human Beings; Virginia Tech Mid-
Atlantic Aviation Partnership (VT MAAP)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notification of availability.

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SUMMARY: This document announces the acceptance of a means of 
compliance with FAA regulations for small unmanned aircraft (sUA) 
Category 2 and Category 3 operations over human beings. The 
Administrator finds that VT MAAP's ``Operation of Small Unmanned 
Aircraft Systems Over People,'' version 2.0, dated January 18, 2024, 
provides an acceptable means, but not the only means, of showing 
compliance with FAA regulations.

DATES: The means of compliance is accepted effective April 5, 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    FAA Contact: Kimberly Luu, Cabin Safety Section, AIR-624, Technical 
Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division, Aircraft Certification 
Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des 
Moines, Washington 98198; telephone and fax 206-231-3414; 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

    Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, part 107, subpart D, 
prescribes the eligibility and operating requirements for civil sUA to 
operate over human beings in the United States. To be eligible for use, 
the sUA must meet the requirements of Sec.  107.120(a) for Category 2 
operations or Sec.  107.130(a) for Category 3 operations. These 
sections require the sUA to be designed, produced or modified such that 
it will not cause injury to a human being above a specified severity 
limit, does not contain any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate 
human skin, and does not contain any safety defects. Section 107.155 
requires that means of compliance with Sec.  107.120(a) or Sec.  
107.130(a) be established and FAA-accepted. Section 107.160 requires an 
applicant to declare that sUA for Category 2 or Category 3 operations 
meet an FAA-accepted means of compliance.

Means of Compliance Accepted

    This notification of availability serves as a formal acceptance by 
the FAA of the VT MAAP's ``Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
Over People,'' version 2.0, as an acceptable means of compliance, but 
not the only means of compliance with Sec. Sec.  107.120(a) and 
107.130(a). Applicants may also propose alternative means of compliance 
for FAA review and possible acceptance.

Revisions

    Revisions to VT MAAP's ``Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft 
Systems Over People,'' version 2, will not be automatically accepted 
and will require further FAA acceptance for any revisions to be 
considered an accepted means of compliance.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 2, 2024.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division, 
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-07267 Filed 4-4-24; 8:45 am]
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