Special Conditions: Airbus Model A380-800 Airplane, Reinforced Flightdeck Bulkhead, 62551-62552 [E6-17902]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 207 (Thursday, October 26, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 62551-62552]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-17902]



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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 207 / Thursday, October 26, 2006 / 
Rules and Regulations

[[Page 62551]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM346; Special Conditions No. 25-335-SC]


Special Conditions: Airbus Model A380-800 Airplane, Reinforced 
Flightdeck Bulkhead

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Airbus A380-800 
airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when 
compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness 
standards for transport category airplanes. Many of these novel or 
unusual design features are associated with the complex systems and the 
configuration of the airplane, including its full-length double deck.
    For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations 
do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards regarding a 
reinforced flightdeck bulkhead. These special conditions contain the 
additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary 
to establish an appropriate level of safety for a reinforced flightdeck 
bulkhead and are equivalent to the standards established by existing 
airworthiness regulations for the flightdeck door. Additional special 
conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of 
the Airbus Model A380-800 airplane.

Effective Date: The effective date of these special conditions is 
October 18, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Holly Thorson, FAA, International 
Branch, ANM-116, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; 
telephone (425) 227-1357; facsimile (425) 227-1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Airbus applied for FAA certification/validation of the 
provisionally designated Model A3XX-100 in its letter AI/L 810.0223/98, 
dated August 12, 1998, to the FAA. Application for certification by the 
Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) of Europe had been made on January 16, 
1998, reference AI/L 810.0019/98. In its letter to the FAA, Airbus 
requested an extension to the 5-year period for type certification in 
accordance with 14 CFR 21.17(c).
    The request was for an extension to a 7-year period, using the date 
of the initial application letter to the JAA as the reference date. The 
reason given by Airbus for the request for extension is related to the 
technical challenges, complexity, and the number of new and novel 
features on the airplane. On November 12, 1998, the Manager, Aircraft 
Engineering Division, AIR-100, granted Airbus' request for the 7-year 
period, based on the date of application to the JAA.
    In its letter AI/LE-A 828.0040/99 Issue 3, dated July 20, 2001, 
Airbus stated that its target date for type certification of the Model 
A380-800 had been moved from May 2005, to January 2006, to match the 
delivery date of the first production airplane. In a subsequent letter 
(AI/L 810.0223/98 issue 3, dated January 27, 2006), Airbus stated that 
its target date for type certification is October 2, 2006. In 
accordance with 14 CFR 21.17(d)(2), Airbus chose a new application date 
of December 20, 1999, and requested that the 7-year certification 
period which had already been approved be continued. The FAA has 
reviewed the part 25 certification basis for the Model A380-800 
airplane, and no changes are required based on the new application 
date.
    The Model A380-800 airplane will be an all-new, four-engine jet 
transport airplane with a full double-deck, two-aisle cabin. The 
maximum takeoff weight will be 1.235 million pounds with a typical 
three-class layout of 555 passengers.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Airbus must show that the 
Model A380-800 airplane meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 
25, as amended by Amendments 25-1 through 25-98. If the Administrator 
finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain 
adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Airbus A380-800 
airplane because of novel or unusual design features, special 
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.16.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Airbus Model A380-800 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. In addition, the 
FAA must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy pursuant to section 611 
of Public Law 93-574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
    Special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, are issued in 
accordance with 14 CFR 11.38 and become part of the type certification 
basis in accordance with 14 CFR 21.17(a)(2).
    Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which 
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended 
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or 
unusual design feature, the special conditions would also apply to the 
other model under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.101.

Discussion of Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The A380 will have a flightdeck bulkhead which is reinforced to 
resist intrusion and ballistic penetration. On January 15, 2002, the 
FAA promulgated 14 CFR 25.795(a), which specifies that the flightdeck 
door installation be designed to resist forcible intrusion by 
unauthorized persons or penetration by small arms fire and 
fragmentation devices. The regulation was limited to the flightdeck 
door to expedite a rapid retrofit of existing airplanes which are 
required by operating rules to have a flightdeck door.
    The FAA intends that the flightdeck bulkhead--and any other 
accessible barrier separating the flightcrew compartment from occupied 
areas--also be designed to resist intrusion or

[[Page 62552]]

penetration. We are in the process of rulemaking to amend Sec.  
25.795(a) to make that and other changes pertaining to security.
    Meanwhile, the FAA is issuing special conditions for the Airbus 
Model A380-800 regarding design of the reinforced flightdeck bulkhead 
separating the flightcrew compartment from occupied areas. These 
special conditions require that the flightdeck bulkhead meet the same 
standards as those specified in Sec.  25.795(a) for flightdeck doors. 
For the A380, the bulkhead may be comprised of components, such as 
lavatory and crew rest walls; these components are covered by these 
special conditions.

Discussion of Comments

    A notice of proposed special conditions (NPSC), pertaining to a 
reinforced flightdeck bulkhead for the Airbus Model A380-800 airplane, 
was published in the Federal Register on April 11, 2006. (The Docket 
No. was NM317, and the Notice No. was 25-05-12-SC. Subsequently, a 
``Notice of proposed special conditions, correction'' was published in 
the Federal Register to correct the docket no. and the notice no., 
because they had previously been used for a different NPSC. The 
corrected NPSC has Docket No. NM346 and Notice No. 25-06-05-SC.)
    The Boeing Company was the only commenter. Since the comments 
addressed security matters as well as technical matters, Boeing asked 
that they not be made public ``until it can be determined if they 
contain `sensitive security information.''' Accordingly, the discussion 
which follows does not contain information about the reinforced 
flightdeck bulkhead which may constitute ``sensitive security 
information.''
    The most significant comment asked that the FAA either withdraw the 
special conditions or provide a better justification for them. The 
Boeing Company said that the special conditions do not clearly define 
``* * *what about the A380 makes its bulkhead novel and unusual with 
respect to any other airplane that has been type certificated to 
date.''
    The FAA does not agree with this comment. We did not propose 
special conditions because of the size or the double-deck configuration 
of the A380 airplane. We proposed them because the Airbus A380-800 
airplane will have a flightdeck bulkhead which is reinforced to resist 
intrusion and ballistic penetration. A reinforced flightdeck bulkhead 
is a novel or unusual design feature. Accordingly, we proposed special 
conditions to provide performance standards that would maintain the 
integrity of the bulkhead and ensure that the bulkhead continues to 
meet those standards if it is modified in the future.
    Other comments of the Boeing Company dealt with terminology and 
technical aspects of the special conditions. These comments pertained 
to the following:
     Use of existing guidance material,
     Whether the standards proposed for the reinforced 
flightdeck bulkhead are the ``same'' as those for the reinforced 
flightdeck door or simply ``equivalent'' to them,
     What constitutes an accessible handhold,
     Use of the term ``passenger accessible compartments'' 
rather than ``occupied areas,'' because the latter term doesn't make a 
distinction between areas occupied by passengers and those occupied by 
crew, and
     Which bulkhead components require protection from 
intrusion and which require protection from ballistic penetration.
    These are all valid matters to be considered as part of the 
certification process, but the answers will be specific to the design 
of the Airbus A380-800 airplane and do not require revision of the 
terms of the proposed special conditions. Accordingly, the FAA has made 
no change to the special conditions, as proposed.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Airbus A380-800 airplane. Should Airbus apply at a later date for a 
change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating 
the same novel or unusual design features, these special conditions 
would apply to that model as well under the provisions of Sec.  21.101.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
of the Airbus A380-800 airplane. It is not a rule of general 
applicability.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.


0
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.

The Special Conditions

0
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 Airbus A380-800 airplane.
    In addition to the requirements of 14 CFR 25.795(a) governing 
protection of the flightdeck door, the following special conditions 
apply:
    The bulkhead--including components that comprise the bulkhead and 
separate the flightcrew compartment from occupied areas--must be 
designed to meet the following standards:
     It must resist forcible intrusion by unauthorized persons 
and be capable of withstanding impacts of 300 Joules (221.3 foot-
pounds) at critical locations as well as a 1113 Newton (250 pound) 
constant tensile load on accessible handholds, including the doorknob 
or handle.
     It must resist penetration by small arms fire and 
fragmentation devices to a level equivalent to level IIIa of the 
National Institute of Justice Standard (NIJ) 0101.04.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 18, 2006.
Jeffrey Duven,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-17902 Filed 10-25-06; 8:45 am]
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