Special Conditions: Flight Structures, Inc., Boeing Model 777-200 Dynamic Test Requirements for Single-Occupant, Oblique (Side-Facing) Seats With Airbag Devices, 58597-58599 [2015-24727]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 189 / Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
installed such that the inflatable lap belt
would not properly deploy.
Alternatively, it must be shown that
such deployment is not hazardous to the
occupant, and will provide the required
head-injury protection.
4. The inflatable lap-belt system must
be shown not to be susceptible to
inadvertent deployment as a result of
wear and tear, or inertial loads resulting
from in-flight or ground maneuvers
(including gusts and hard landings),
likely to be experienced in service.
5. Deployment of the inflatable lap
belt must not introduce injury
mechanisms to the seated occupant, nor
result in injuries that could impede
rapid egress. This assessment should
include an occupant who is in the brace
position when it deploys, and an
occupant whose inflatable lap belt is
loosely fastened.
6. An inadvertent deployment that
could cause injury to a standing or
sitting person must be shown to be
improbable.
7. It must be shown that inadvertent
deployment of the airbag system in the
lap belt, during the most critical part of
the flight, either will not cause a hazard
to the airplane or its occupants, or meets
the requirement of § 25.1309(b).
8. The inflatable lap belt must be
shown to not impede rapid egress of
occupants 10 seconds after its
deployment.
9. The inflatable lap-belt system must
be protected from lightning and HIRF.
The threats specified in existing
regulations regarding lightning,
§ 25.1316, and HIRF, § 25.1317, are
incorporated by reference for the
purpose of measuring lightning and
HIRF protection. For the purposes of
complying with HIRF requirements, the
inflatable lap-belt system is considered
a ‘‘critical system’’ if its deployment
could have a hazardous effect on the
airplane; otherwise it is considered an
‘‘essential’’ system.
10. The inflatable lap belt must
function properly after loss of normal
airplane electrical power, and after a
transverse separation of the fuselage at
the most critical location. A separation
at the location of the lap belt does not
have to be considered.
11. The inflatable lap belt must be
shown to not release hazardous
quantities of gas or particulate matter
into the cabin.
12. The inflatable lap-belt installation
must be protected from the effects of fire
such that no hazard to occupants will
result.
13. A means must be available for a
crewmember to verify the integrity of
the inflatable-lap-belt-activation system
prior to each flight, or it must be
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17:12 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 235001
demonstrated to reliably operate
between inspection intervals.
14. The inflatable material may not
have an average burn rate of greater than
2.5 inches per minute when tested using
the horizontal-flammability test as
defined in 14 CFR part 25, Appendix F,
Part I(b)(5).
15. The airbag system in the lap belt,
once deployed, must not adversely
affect the emergency-lighting system
(i.e., block floor-proximity lights to the
extent that the lights no longer meet
their intended function).
Issued in Renton, Washington, on
September 1, 2015.
Jeffrey E. Duven,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–24725 Filed 9–29–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA–2015–3367; Special
Conditions No. 25–596–SC]
Special Conditions: Flight Structures,
Inc., Boeing Model 777–200 Dynamic
Test Requirements for SingleOccupant, Oblique (Side-Facing) Seats
With Airbag Devices
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request
for comments.
AGENCY:
These special conditions are
issued for Boeing Model 777–200
airplanes. This airplane, as modified by
Flight Structures, Inc., will have novel
or unusual design features associated
with oblique-angled, single-occupant
seats equipped with airbag systems. The
applicable airworthiness regulations do
not contain adequate or appropriate
safety standards for these design
features. These special conditions
contain the additional safety standards
the Administrator considers necessary
to establish a level of safety equivalent
to that established by the existing
airworthiness standards.
DATES: The effective date of these
special conditions is September 30,
2015. We must receive your comments
by November 16, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified
by docket number FAA–2015–3367
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.
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
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58597
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: The FAA will post all
comments it receives, without change,
to https://www.regulations.gov/,
including any personal information the
commenter provides. Using the search
function of the docket Web site, anyone
can find and read the electronic form of
all comments received into any FAA
docket, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or
signing the comment for an association,
business, labor union, etc.). DOT’s
complete Privacy Act Statement can be
found in the Federal Register published
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477–19478),
as well as at https://DocketsInfo.
dot.gov/.
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.
John
Shelden, Airframe and Cabin Safety,
ANM–115, Transport Airplane
Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW.,
Renton, Washington 98057–3356;
telephone 425–227–2785; facsimile
425–227–1149.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The FAA
has determined that notice of, and
opportunity for, prior public comment
on these special conditions are
impracticable because these procedures
would significantly delay issuance of
the design approval and thus delivery of
the affected airplane.
In addition, the substance of these
special conditions has been subject to
the public-comment process in several
prior instances with no substantive
comments received. The FAA therefore
finds that good cause exists for making
these special conditions effective upon
issuance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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58598
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 189 / Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
Comments Invited
We invite 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.
We will consider all comments we
receive by the closing date for
comments. We may change these special
conditions based on the comments we
receive.
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES
Background
On July 7, 2014, Flight Structures,
Inc., applied for a supplemental type
certificate to allow the installation of
oblique business-class passenger seats,
positioned at 32.5 degrees to the vertical
plane of the airplane longitudinal
centerline, and to include inflatable lap
belts, in Boeing Model 777–200
airplanes.
The seating configuration Flight
Structures, Inc., proposes in
certification plan No. B3FS332–D10
includes the installation of TSO–39capproved, Zodiac Aries model, sidefacing, pod-style, business-class seats
(with surrounding shells and front-row
furniture), installed at an angle of up to
32.5 degrees to the airplane longitudinal
centerline. These seats will include
restraint (airbag) systems for occupant
restraint and injury protection.
The Boeing Model 777–200 airplane,
approved under Type Certificate No.
T00001SE, is a swept-wing,
conventional-tail, twin-engine, turbofanpowered transport airplane, with seating
capacity for 440 passengers.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.101,
Flight Structures, Inc., must show that
the Model 777–200 airplane, as
changed, meets the applicable
provisions of the regulations listed in
Type Certificate No. T00001SE, or the
applicable regulations in effect on the
date of application for the change,
except for earlier amendments as agreed
upon by the FAA. The regulations listed
in the type certificate are commonly
referred to as the ‘‘original typecertification basis.’’ The regulations
listed in Type Certificate No. T00001SE
are as follows:
14 CFR part 25, Amendments 25–1
through 25–82, with exceptions listed in
the type-certification data sheet. In
addition, the certification basis includes
certain special conditions, exemptions,
or later amended sections of the
applicable part that are not relevant to
these special conditions.
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17:12 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 235001
If the Administrator finds that the
applicable airworthiness regulations
(i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain
adequate or appropriate safety standards
for Boeing Model 777–200 airplanes
because of a novel or unusual design
feature, special conditions are
prescribed under § 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 § 21.101.
In addition to the applicable
airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Boeing Model 777–200
airplane must comply with the fuel-vent
and exhaust-emission requirements of
14 CFR part 34, and the noisecertification requirements of 14 CFR
part 36.
The FAA issues special conditions as
defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in accordance
with § 11.38, and they become part of
the type certification basis under
§ 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The business-class seating
configuration Flight Structures, Inc.,
proposes is novel and unusual due to
the seat installation at 32.5 degrees to
the aircraft centerline, the airbag-system
installation, and the seat/occupant
interface with the surrounding furniture
that introduces occupant alignment and
loading concerns. The proposed
business-class seating configuration also
is beyond the limits of current
acceptable equivalent-level-of-safety
findings.
Ongoing research is progressing to
establish acceptable limits. Until those
limits become available, the FAA
proposes a set of interim limits based on
the current literature available, current
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) regulations,
and preliminary test data from the
research program.
The existing regulations do not
provide adequate or appropriate safety
standards for occupants of obliqueangled seats with airbag systems. To
provide a level of safety that is
equivalent to that afforded occupants of
forward- and aft-facing seats, additional
airworthiness standards, in the form of
special conditions, are necessary. These
special conditions supplement part 25
and, more specifically, supplement
§§ 25.562 and 25.785. The requirements
contained in these special conditions
consist of both test conditions and
injury pass/fail criteria.
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Discussion
Amendment 25–15 to part 25, dated
October 24, 1967, introduced the subject
of side-facing seats, and a requirement
that each occupant in a side-facing seat
must be protected from head injury by
a safety belt and a cushioned rest that
will support the arms, shoulders, head,
and spine.
Subsequently, Amendment 25–20,
dated April 23, 1969, clarified the
definition of side-facing seats to require
that each occupant of a seat, positioned
at more than an 18-degree angle to the
vertical plane of the airplane
longitudinal centerline, must be
protected from head injury by a safety
belt and an energy-absorbing rest that
will support the arms, shoulders, head,
and spine; or by a safety belt and
shoulder harness that will prevent the
head from contacting any injurious
object. The FAA concluded that an 18degree angle would provide an adequate
level of safety based on tests that were
performed at that time, and thus
adopted that standard.
Part 25 was amended June 16, 1988,
by Amendment 25–64, to revise the
emergency-landing conditions that must
be considered in the design of the
airplane. Amendment 25–64 revised the
static-load conditions in 14 CFR 25.561,
and added the new § 25.562 that
requires dynamic testing for all seats
approved for occupancy during takeoff
and landing. The intent of Amendment
25–64 is to provide an improved level
of safety for occupants on transportcategory airplanes. Because most seating
is forward-facing on transport-category
airplanes, the pass/fail criteria
developed in Amendment 25–64
focused primarily on these seats. As a
result, the FAA issued Policy
Memorandums ANM–03–115–30 and
PS–ANM–100–2000–00123 to provide
the additional guidance necessary to
demonstrate the level of safety required
by the regulations for side-facing seats.
To reflect current research findings,
the FAA developed a methodology to
address all fully side-facing seats (i.e.,
seats positioned in the airplane with the
occupant facing 90 degrees to the
vertical plane of the airplane
centerline), and has documented those
requirements in a set of new special
conditions. The FAA issued Policy
Statement PS–ANM–25–03–R1 to define
revised injury criteria associated with
neck and leg injuries.
The proposed Model 777–200
airplane business-class seat installation
is novel such that the current Model
777–200 airplane certification basis
does not adequately protection of the
occupant’s neck and spine for seat
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 189 / Wednesday, September 30, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
configurations that are positioned at an
angle greater than 18 degrees from the
airplane centerline. Therefore, the Flight
Structures, Inc., proposed configuration
will require new special conditions.
These special conditions will provide
head injury criteria, neck injury criteria,
spine injury criteria, and body-to-wall
contact criteria. They 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
These special conditions are
applicable to the Boeing Model 777–200
airplanes configured with the businessclass seating defined in Flight
Structures, Inc., certification plan No.
B3FS332–D10. Should Flight Structures,
Inc., apply at a later date for a
supplemental type certificate to modify
any other model included on Type
Certificate No. T00001SE to incorporate
the same novel or unusual design
feature, these special conditions would
apply to the other model as well.
Conclusion
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This action affects only certain novel
or unusual design features on one model
of airplane. It is not a rule of general
applicability, and affects only the
applicant who applied to the FAA for
approval of these features on the
airplane.
The substance of these special
conditions has been subjected to the
notice and comment period in several
prior instances, and has been derived
without substantive change from those
previously issued. It is unlikely that
prior public comment would result in a
significant change from the substance
contained herein. Therefore, because a
delay would significantly affect the
certification of the airplane, the FAA
has determined that prior public notice
and comment are unnecessary and
impracticable, and good cause exists for
adopting these special conditions upon
publication in the Federal Register. The
FAA is requesting comments to allow
interested persons to submit views that
may not have been submitted in
response to the prior opportunities for
comment described above.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements.
The authority citation for these
special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701,
44702, 44704.
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17:12 Sep 29, 2015
Jkt 235001
58599
The Special Conditions
4. Spine and Torso Injury Criteria
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 Boeing Model
777–200 airplane.
a. The shoulders must remain aligned
with the hips throughout the impact
sequence, or support for the upper torso
must be provided to prevent forward or
lateral flailing beyond 45 degrees from
the vertical during significant spinal
loading. Alternatively, the lumbar spine
tension (Fz) cannot exceed 1200 lb.
b. Significant concentrated loading on
the occupant’s spine, in the area
between the pelvis and shoulders
during impact, including rebound, is
not acceptable. During this type of
contact, the interval for any rearward
(X-direction) acceleration exceeding 20g
must be less than 3 milliseconds as
measured by the thoracic
instrumentation specified in 49 CFR
part 572, subpart E, filtered in
accordance with SAE International
(SAE) J211–1.
c. Occupant must not interact with
the armrest or other seat components in
any manner significantly different than
would be expected for a forward-facing
seat installation.
5. Longitudinal test(s), conducted to
measure the injury criteria above, must
be performed with the FAA Hybrid III
ATD, as described in SAE 1999–01–
1609. The test(s) must be conducted
with an undeformed floor, at the mostcritical yaw case(s) for injury, and with
all lateral structural supports (armrests/
walls) installed.
Side-Facing Seats Special Conditions
In addition to the requirements of
§ 25.562:
1. Head-Injury Criteria
Compliance with § 25.562(c)(5) is
required, except that, if the
anthropomorphic test device (ATD) has
no apparent contact with the seat/
structure but has contact with an airbag,
a head-injury criterion (HIC) unlimited
score in excess of 1000 is acceptable,
provided the HIC15 score (calculated in
accordance with 49 CFR 571.208) for
that contact is less than 700.
2. Body-to-Wall/Furnishing Contact
If a seat is installed aft of structure
(e.g., an interior wall or furnishing) that
does not provide a homogenous contact
surface for the expected range of
occupants and yaw angles, then
additional analysis and/or test(s) may be
required to demonstrate that the injury
criteria are met for the area that an
occupant could contact. For example, if
different yaw angles could result in
different airbag performance, then
additional analysis or separate test(s)
may be necessary to evaluate
performance.
3. Neck Injury Criteria
The seating system must protect the
occupant from experiencing serious
neck injury. The assessment of neck
injury must be conducted with the
airbag device activated, unless there is
reason to also consider that the neckinjury potential would be higher for
impacts below the airbag-device
deployment threshold.
a. The Nij (calculated in accordance
with 49 CFR 571.208) must be below
1.0, where Nij =Fz/Fzc + My/Myc, and Nij
critical values are:
i. Fzc = 1530 lb for tension
ii. Fzc = 1385 lb for compression
iii. Myc = 229 lb-ft in flexion
iv. Myc = 100 lb-ft in extension
b. In addition, peak Fz must be below
937 lb in tension and 899 lb in
compression.
c. Rotation of the head about its
vertical axis, relative to the torso, is
limited to 105 degrees in either
direction from forward-facing.
d. The neck must not impact any
surface that would produce
concentrated loading on the neck.
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Note: Boeing must demonstrate that the
installation of seats via plinths or pallets
meets all applicable requirements.
Compliance with the guidance contained in
FAA Policy Memorandum PS–ANM–100–
2000–00123, dated February 2, 2000, titled
‘‘Guidance for Demonstrating Compliance
with Seat Dynamic Testing for Plinths and
Pallets,’’ is acceptable to the FAA.
Inflatable Lap Belt Special Conditions
If inflatable lap belts are installed on
single-place side-facing seats, the lap
belts must meet Special Conditions No.
25–187A–SC.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on
September 2, 2015.
Jeffrey E. Duven,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–24727 Filed 9–29–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 189 (Wednesday, September 30, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 58597-58599]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24727]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2015-3367; Special Conditions No. 25-596-SC]
Special Conditions: Flight Structures, Inc., Boeing Model 777-200
Dynamic Test Requirements for Single-Occupant, Oblique (Side-Facing)
Seats With Airbag Devices
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for Boeing Model 777-200
airplanes. This airplane, as modified by Flight Structures, Inc., will
have novel or unusual design features associated with oblique-angled,
single-occupant seats equipped with airbag systems. The applicable
airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety
standards for these design features. These special conditions contain
the additional safety standards the Administrator considers necessary
to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the
existing airworthiness standards.
DATES: The effective date of these special conditions is September 30,
2015. We must receive your comments by November 16, 2015.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-3367
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: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at https://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/.
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: John Shelden, Airframe and Cabin
Safety, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 98057-3356; telephone
425-227-2785; facsimile 425-227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice of, and
opportunity for, prior public comment on these special conditions are
impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay
issuance of the design approval and thus delivery of the affected
airplane.
In addition, the substance of these special conditions has been
subject to the public-comment process in several prior instances with
no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore finds that good
cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon
issuance.
[[Page 58598]]
Comments Invited
We invite 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.
We will consider all comments we receive by the closing date for
comments. We may change these special conditions based on the comments
we receive.
Background
On July 7, 2014, Flight Structures, Inc., applied for a
supplemental type certificate to allow the installation of oblique
business-class passenger seats, positioned at 32.5 degrees to the
vertical plane of the airplane longitudinal centerline, and to include
inflatable lap belts, in Boeing Model 777-200 airplanes.
The seating configuration Flight Structures, Inc., proposes in
certification plan No. B3FS332-D10 includes the installation of TSO-
39c-approved, Zodiac Aries model, side-facing, pod-style, business-
class seats (with surrounding shells and front-row furniture),
installed at an angle of up to 32.5 degrees to the airplane
longitudinal centerline. These seats will include restraint (airbag)
systems for occupant restraint and injury protection.
The Boeing Model 777-200 airplane, approved under Type Certificate
No. T00001SE, is a swept-wing, conventional-tail, twin-engine,
turbofan-powered transport airplane, with seating capacity for 440
passengers.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Flight Structures, Inc., must show that the Model 777-200
airplane, as changed, meets the applicable provisions of the
regulations listed in Type Certificate No. T00001SE, or the applicable
regulations in effect on the date of application for the change, except
for earlier amendments as agreed upon by the FAA. The regulations
listed in the type certificate are commonly referred to as the
``original type- certification basis.'' The regulations listed in Type
Certificate No. T00001SE are as follows:
14 CFR part 25, Amendments 25-1 through 25-82, with exceptions
listed in the type-certification data sheet. In addition, the
certification basis includes certain special conditions, exemptions, or
later amended sections of the applicable part that are not relevant to
these special conditions.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for Boeing Model 777-200 airplanes because
of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed
under 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 Boeing Model 777-200 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 Features
The business-class seating configuration Flight Structures, Inc.,
proposes is novel and unusual due to the seat installation at 32.5
degrees to the aircraft centerline, the airbag-system installation, and
the seat/occupant interface with the surrounding furniture that
introduces occupant alignment and loading concerns. The proposed
business-class seating configuration also is beyond the limits of
current acceptable equivalent-level-of-safety findings.
Ongoing research is progressing to establish acceptable limits.
Until those limits become available, the FAA proposes a set of interim
limits based on the current literature available, current National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations, and
preliminary test data from the research program.
The existing regulations do not provide adequate or appropriate
safety standards for occupants of oblique-angled seats with airbag
systems. To provide a level of safety that is equivalent to that
afforded occupants of forward- and aft-facing seats, additional
airworthiness standards, in the form of special conditions, are
necessary. These special conditions supplement part 25 and, more
specifically, supplement Sec. Sec. 25.562 and 25.785. The requirements
contained in these special conditions consist of both test conditions
and injury pass/fail criteria.
Discussion
Amendment 25-15 to part 25, dated October 24, 1967, introduced the
subject of side-facing seats, and a requirement that each occupant in a
side-facing seat must be protected from head injury by a safety belt
and a cushioned rest that will support the arms, shoulders, head, and
spine.
Subsequently, Amendment 25-20, dated April 23, 1969, clarified the
definition of side-facing seats to require that each occupant of a
seat, positioned at more than an 18-degree angle to the vertical plane
of the airplane longitudinal centerline, must be protected from head
injury by a safety belt and an energy-absorbing rest that will support
the arms, shoulders, head, and spine; or by a safety belt and shoulder
harness that will prevent the head from contacting any injurious
object. The FAA concluded that an 18-degree angle would provide an
adequate level of safety based on tests that were performed at that
time, and thus adopted that standard.
Part 25 was amended June 16, 1988, by Amendment 25-64, to revise
the emergency-landing conditions that must be considered in the design
of the airplane. Amendment 25-64 revised the static-load conditions in
14 CFR 25.561, and added the new Sec. 25.562 that requires dynamic
testing for all seats approved for occupancy during takeoff and
landing. The intent of Amendment 25-64 is to provide an improved level
of safety for occupants on transport-category airplanes. Because most
seating is forward-facing on transport-category airplanes, the pass/
fail criteria developed in Amendment 25-64 focused primarily on these
seats. As a result, the FAA issued Policy Memorandums ANM-03-115-30 and
PS-ANM-100-2000-00123 to provide the additional guidance necessary to
demonstrate the level of safety required by the regulations for side-
facing seats.
To reflect current research findings, the FAA developed a
methodology to address all fully side-facing seats (i.e., seats
positioned in the airplane with the occupant facing 90 degrees to the
vertical plane of the airplane centerline), and has documented those
requirements in a set of new special conditions. The FAA issued Policy
Statement PS-ANM-25-03-R1 to define revised injury criteria associated
with neck and leg injuries.
The proposed Model 777-200 airplane business-class seat
installation is novel such that the current Model 777-200 airplane
certification basis does not adequately protection of the occupant's
neck and spine for seat
[[Page 58599]]
configurations that are positioned at an angle greater than 18 degrees
from the airplane centerline. Therefore, the Flight Structures, Inc.,
proposed configuration will require new special conditions.
These special conditions will provide head injury criteria, neck
injury criteria, spine injury criteria, and body-to-wall contact
criteria. They 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
These special conditions are applicable to the Boeing Model 777-200
airplanes configured with the business-class seating defined in Flight
Structures, Inc., certification plan No. B3FS332-D10. Should Flight
Structures, Inc., apply at a later date for a supplemental type
certificate to modify any other model included on Type Certificate No.
T00001SE to incorporate the same novel or unusual design feature, these
special conditions would apply to the other model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability,
and affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of
these features on the airplane.
The substance of these special conditions has been subjected to the
notice and comment period in several prior instances, and has been
derived without substantive change from those previously issued. It is
unlikely that prior public comment would result in a significant change
from the substance contained herein. Therefore, because a delay would
significantly affect the certification of the airplane, the FAA has
determined that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary and
impracticable, and good cause exists for adopting these special
conditions upon publication in the Federal Register. The FAA is
requesting comments to allow interested persons to submit views that
may not have been submitted in response to the prior opportunities for
comment described above.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 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 Boeing Model 777-200 airplane.
Side-Facing Seats Special Conditions
In addition to the requirements of Sec. 25.562:
1. Head-Injury Criteria
Compliance with Sec. 25.562(c)(5) is required, except that, if the
anthropomorphic test device (ATD) has no apparent contact with the
seat/structure but has contact with an airbag, a head-injury criterion
(HIC) unlimited score in excess of 1000 is acceptable, provided the
HIC15 score (calculated in accordance with 49 CFR 571.208) for that
contact is less than 700.
2. Body-to-Wall/Furnishing Contact
If a seat is installed aft of structure (e.g., an interior wall or
furnishing) that does not provide a homogenous contact surface for the
expected range of occupants and yaw angles, then additional analysis
and/or test(s) may be required to demonstrate that the injury criteria
are met for the area that an occupant could contact. For example, if
different yaw angles could result in different airbag performance, then
additional analysis or separate test(s) may be necessary to evaluate
performance.
3. Neck Injury Criteria
The seating system must protect the occupant from experiencing
serious neck injury. The assessment of neck injury must be conducted
with the airbag device activated, unless there is reason to also
consider that the neck-injury potential would be higher for impacts
below the airbag-device deployment threshold.
a. The Nij (calculated in accordance with 49 CFR
571.208) must be below 1.0, where Nij =Fz/
Fzc + My/Myc, and Nij
critical values are:
i. Fzc = 1530 lb for tension
ii. Fzc = 1385 lb for compression
iii. Myc = 229 lb-ft in flexion
iv. Myc = 100 lb-ft in extension
b. In addition, peak Fz must be below 937 lb in tension
and 899 lb in compression.
c. Rotation of the head about its vertical axis, relative to the
torso, is limited to 105 degrees in either direction from forward-
facing.
d. The neck must not impact any surface that would produce
concentrated loading on the neck.
4. Spine and Torso Injury Criteria
a. The shoulders must remain aligned with the hips throughout the
impact sequence, or support for the upper torso must be provided to
prevent forward or lateral flailing beyond 45 degrees from the vertical
during significant spinal loading. Alternatively, the lumbar spine
tension (Fz) cannot exceed 1200 lb.
b. Significant concentrated loading on the occupant's spine, in the
area between the pelvis and shoulders during impact, including rebound,
is not acceptable. During this type of contact, the interval for any
rearward (X-direction) acceleration exceeding 20g must be less than 3
milliseconds as measured by the thoracic instrumentation specified in
49 CFR part 572, subpart E, filtered in accordance with SAE
International (SAE) J211-1.
c. Occupant must not interact with the armrest or other seat
components in any manner significantly different than would be expected
for a forward-facing seat installation.
5. Longitudinal test(s), conducted to measure the injury criteria
above, must be performed with the FAA Hybrid III ATD, as described in
SAE 1999-01-1609. The test(s) must be conducted with an undeformed
floor, at the most-critical yaw case(s) for injury, and with all
lateral structural supports (armrests/walls) installed.
Note: Boeing must demonstrate that the installation of seats
via plinths or pallets meets all applicable requirements. Compliance
with the guidance contained in FAA Policy Memorandum PS-ANM-100-
2000-00123, dated February 2, 2000, titled ``Guidance for
Demonstrating Compliance with Seat Dynamic Testing for Plinths and
Pallets,'' is acceptable to the FAA.
Inflatable Lap Belt Special Conditions
If inflatable lap belts are installed on single-place side-facing
seats, the lap belts must meet Special Conditions No. 25-187A-SC.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on September 2, 2015.
Jeffrey E. Duven,
Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-24727 Filed 9-29-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
