Special Conditions: Boeing Model 787 Series Airplanes; Seats With Inertia Locking Devices, 26739-26741 [2019-12121]

Download as PDF 26739 Rules and Regulations Federal Register Vol. 84, No. 111 Monday, June 10, 2019 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510. The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 25 [Docket No. FAA–2019–0236; Special Conditions No. 25–745–SC] Special Conditions: Boeing Model 787 Series Airplanes; Seats With Inertia Locking Devices Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final special conditions. AGENCY: These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 787 series airplane. These airplanes 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 seats with inertia locking devices. 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: Effective June 10, 2019. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Lennon, Cabin and Airframe Safety Section, AIR–675, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; telephone and fax 206–231–3209; email shannon.lennon@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with RULES SUMMARY: Background On February 14, 2019, Boeing applied for a change to Type Certificate No. T00021SE for seats with inertia locking devices in Model 787 series airplanes. The Model 787 series airplane is a twin- VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:41 Jun 07, 2019 Jkt 247001 engine transport-category airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of 560,000 pounds and seating for 440 passengers. Type Certification Basis Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.101, Boeing must show that the Model 787 series airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. T00021SE, 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 (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for Boeing Model 787 series airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of § 21.16. 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, or should any other model already included on the same type certificate be modified 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, Boeing Model 787 series airplanes must comply with the fuelvent 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 Boeing Model 787 series airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: Seats with inertia locking devices (ILD). Discussion Boeing will install, in Model 787 series airplanes, Thompson Aero Seating Ltd. passenger seats that can be PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 translated in the fore and aft direction by an electrically powered motor (actuator) that is attached to the seat primary structure. Under typical service-loading conditions, the motor internal brake is able to translate the seat and hold the seat in the translated position. However, under the inertial loads of emergency-landing loading conditions specified in 14 CFR 25.562, the motor internal brake may not be able to maintain the seat in the required position. The ILD is an ‘‘active’’ device intended to control seat movement (i.e., a system that mechanically deploys during an impact event) to lock the gears of the motor assembly in place. The ILD mechanism is activated by the higher inertial load factors that could occur during an emergency landing event. Each seat place incorporates two ILDs; one on either side of the seat pan. Only one ILD is required to hold an occupied seat in position during worstcase dynamic loading specified in § 25.562. The ILD will self-activate only in the event of a predetermined airplane loading condition such as that occurring during crash or emergency landing, and will prevent excessive seat forward translation. A minimum level of protection must be provided if the seatlocking device does not deploy. The normal means of satisfying the structural and occupant protection requirements of § 25.562 result in a nonquantified, but predictable, progressive structural deformation or reduction of injury severity for impact conditions less than the maximum specified by the rule. A seat using ILD technology, however, may involve a step change in protection for impacts below and above that at which the ILD activates and deploys to retain the seat pan in place. This could result in structural deformation or occupant injury output being higher at an intermediate impact condition than that resulting from the maximum impact condition. It is acceptable for such step-change characteristics to exist, provided the resulting output does not exceed the maximum allowable criteria at any condition at which the ILD does or does not deploy, up to the maximum severity pulse specified by the requirements. The ideal triangular maximum severity pulse is defined in Advisory Circular (AC) 25.562–1B. For the evaluation and testing of less-severe E:\FR\FM\10JNR1.SGM 10JNR1 26740 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 111 / Monday, June 10, 2019 / Rules and Regulations khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with RULES pulses for purposes of assessing the effectiveness of the ILD deployment setting, a similar triangular pulse should be used with acceleration, rise time, and velocity change scaled accordingly. The magnitude of the required pulse should not deviate below the ideal pulse by more than 0.5g until 1.33 t1 is reached, where t1 represents the time interval between 0 and t1 on the referenced pulse shape as shown in AC 25.562–1B. This is an acceptable method of compliance to the test requirements of the special conditions. Conditions 1 through 5 address ensuring that the ILD activates when intended in order to provide the necessary protection of occupants. This includes protection of a range of occupants under various accident conditions. Conditions 6 through 10 address maintenance and reliability of the ILD, including any outside influences on the mechanism, to ensure it functions as intended. The 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. Discussion of Comments The FAA issued Notice of Proposed Special Conditions No. 25–19–03–SC, for the Boeing Model 787 series airplane, which was published in the Federal Register on April 29, 2019 (84 FR 17977). The FAA received responses from two commenters. One commenter writes: Seats are dynamically tested in upright positions to show compliance with 14 CFR part 25.562. In this specific installation, there is a mechanical or electrical actuation of the movement of the seat, and the following points of concern may raise: (1) If the motor loses electrical power before a crash during an actuation, can it lock the seat in a position other than that considered for [taxi, takeoff, and landing] TTL? (2) There should be included a Special Condition to address possible interference of lightning and highintensity radiated fields on the motor or its commands; (3) Design features should be demanded to avoid the seat to be locked in an intermediate position (for example, because of fail in link between the seat structure and the actuator). The FAA clarifies, regarding the commenter’s concerns about seatactuator motor disability and impact on the seat position due to loss of power or other conditions, the seat design includes a manual-override feature to VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:41 Jun 07, 2019 Jkt 247001 restore the seat in the required position. However, while the actuator motor is part of the seat-actuation system, this feature is not the subject of the proposed special conditions. Rather, the special conditions address the ILDs, which are a different component of the seatactuation system and are intended to ensure that the seat position is maintained in the event that the structural capability of the actuator motor brake is exceeded during emergency-landing conditions. The ILDs are a mechanical interlock feature and are not affected by loss of power or external electrical forces. Another commenter asks if such extra safety precautions as ILDs may potentially be implemented in other airplane models, adding that seats with inertia locking devices likely enhance air-travel safety. The FAA agrees that ILDs enhance airplane safety. It is possible that ILDs potentially will be incorporated into seat designs intended for installation on other airplane models. Incorporation of such a feature is contingent on the airplane manufacturer’s determination to install seats that include ILDs as part of a seat-actuation system. The comments do not change the special conditions, and the special conditions are adopted as proposed. Applicability As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to Boeing Model 787 series airplanes. Should Boeing apply at a later date for a change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions would apply to that model as well. Conclusion This action affects only one novel or unusual design feature on one model series of airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability. 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 Boeing Model 787 series airplanes. PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 In addition to the requirements of § 25.562, passenger seats incorporating an inertia locking device (ILD) must meet the following: 1. Level of Protection Provided by ILD—It must be demonstrated by test that the seats and attachments, when subject to the emergency-landing dynamic conditions specified in § 25.562, and with one ILD not deployed, do not experience structural failure that could result in: a. Separation of the seat from the airplane floor. b. Separation of any part of the seat that could form a hazard to the seat occupant or any other airplane occupant. c. Failure of the occupant restraint or any other condition that could result in the occupant separating from the seat. 2. Protection Provided Below and Above the ILD Actuation Condition—If step-change effects on occupant protection exist for impacts below and above that at which the ILD deploys, tests must be performed to demonstrate that the occupant is shown to be protected at any condition at which the ILD does or does not deploy, up to the maximum severity pulse specified by § 25.562. Test conditions must take into account any necessary tolerances for deployment. 3. Protection Over a Range of Crash Pulse Vectors—The ILD must be shown to function as intended for all test vectors specified in § 25.562. 4. Protection During Secondary Impacts—The ILD activation setting must be demonstrated to maximize the probability of the protection being available when needed, considering a secondary impact that is above the severity at which the device is intended to deploy up to the impact loading required by § 25.562. 5. Protection of Occupants other than 50th Percentile—Protection of occupants for a range of stature from a two-year-old child to a ninety-five percentile male must be shown. 6. Inadvertent Operation—It must be shown that any inadvertent operation of the ILD does not affect the performance of the device during a subsequent emergency landing. 7. Installation Protection—It must be shown that the ILD installation is protected from contamination and interference from foreign objects. 8. Reliability—The performance of the ILD must not be altered by the effects of wear, manufacturing tolerances, aging or drying of lubricants, and corrosion. 9. Maintenance and Functional Checks—The design, installation, and operation of the ILD must be such that it is possible to functionally check the E:\FR\FM\10JNR1.SGM 10JNR1 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 111 / Monday, June 10, 2019 / Rules and Regulations device in place. Additionally, a functional check method and a maintenance check interval must be included in the seat installer’s instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) document. 10. Release Function—If a means exists to release an inadvertently activated ILD, the release means must not introduce additional hidden failures that would prevent the ILD from functioning properly. Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on June 5, 2019. Paul Siegmund, Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service. [FR Doc. 2019–12121 Filed 6–7–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–13–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 25 [Docket No. FAA–2019–0424; Special Conditions No. 25–748–SC] Special Conditions: Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation, Model MRJ–200 Airplane; Operation Without Normal Electrical Power Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments. AGENCY: These special conditions are issued for the Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation (MITAC), Model MRJ–200 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These design features are electrical and electronic systems that perform critical functions, the loss of which could be catastrophic to the airplane. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design features. 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 MITAC on June 10, 2019. Send comments on or before July 25, 2019. ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA–2019–0424 using any of the following methods: • Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/ and follow khammond on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 15:41 Jun 07, 2019 Jkt 247001 26741 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 website, 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). 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: Dean Thompson, Airplane and Flight Crew Interface Section, AIR–671, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; telephone and fax 206–231–3165; email Dean.R.Thompson@faa.gov. 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 has determined that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary, and finds that, for the same reason, good cause exists for adopting these special conditions upon publication in the Federal Register. 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. Comments Invited The MITAC Model MRJ–200 airplanes will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: We invite interested people to take part in this rulemaking by sending PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 Background On March 3, 2015, MITAC applied for a type certificate for their new Model MRJ–200 airplanes. The MITAC Model MRJ–200 airplane is a low-wing, conventional-tail design with two wingmounted turbofan engines. The airplane has seating for 92 passengers and a maximum takeoff weight of 95,000 lbs. Type Certification Basis Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, MITAC must show that the Model MRJ– 200 airplanes meet the applicable provisions of part 25, as amended by amendments 25–1 through 25–141; and part 26 continued airworthiness certification requirements, as amended by Amendments 26–1 through 26–6. If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the MITAC MRJ–200 airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of § 21.16. 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, these special conditions would also apply to the other model under § 21.101. In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the MITAC MRJ–200 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 § 11.38, and they become part of the type certification basis under § 21.17(a)(2). Novel or Unusual Design Features E:\FR\FM\10JNR1.SGM 10JNR1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 111 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 26739-26741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12121]



========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents 
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed 
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published 
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents. 

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 111 / Monday, June 10, 2019 / Rules 
and Regulations

[[Page 26739]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2019-0236; Special Conditions No. 25-745-SC]


Special Conditions: Boeing Model 787 Series Airplanes; Seats With 
Inertia Locking Devices

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 787 
series airplane. These airplanes 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 seats with inertia locking devices. 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: Effective June 10, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Lennon, Cabin and Airframe 
Safety Section, AIR-675, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; 
telephone and fax 206-231-3209; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On February 14, 2019, Boeing applied for a change to Type 
Certificate No. T00021SE for seats with inertia locking devices in 
Model 787 series airplanes. The Model 787 series airplane is a twin-
engine transport-category airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of 
560,000 pounds and seating for 440 passengers.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR) 21.101, Boeing must show that the Model 787 series airplanes, as 
changed, continue to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations 
listed in Type Certificate No. T00021SE, 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 (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for Boeing Model 787 series 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 type certificate for that model be amended 
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or 
unusual design feature, or should any other model already included on 
the same type certificate be modified 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, Boeing Model 787 series 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

    Boeing Model 787 series airplanes will incorporate the following 
novel or unusual design features:
    Seats with inertia locking devices (ILD).

Discussion

    Boeing will install, in Model 787 series airplanes, Thompson Aero 
Seating Ltd. passenger seats that can be translated in the fore and aft 
direction by an electrically powered motor (actuator) that is attached 
to the seat primary structure. Under typical service-loading 
conditions, the motor internal brake is able to translate the seat and 
hold the seat in the translated position. However, under the inertial 
loads of emergency-landing loading conditions specified in 14 CFR 
25.562, the motor internal brake may not be able to maintain the seat 
in the required position. The ILD is an ``active'' device intended to 
control seat movement (i.e., a system that mechanically deploys during 
an impact event) to lock the gears of the motor assembly in place. The 
ILD mechanism is activated by the higher inertial load factors that 
could occur during an emergency landing event. Each seat place 
incorporates two ILDs; one on either side of the seat pan. Only one ILD 
is required to hold an occupied seat in position during worst-case 
dynamic loading specified in Sec.  25.562.
    The ILD will self-activate only in the event of a predetermined 
airplane loading condition such as that occurring during crash or 
emergency landing, and will prevent excessive seat forward translation. 
A minimum level of protection must be provided if the seat-locking 
device does not deploy.
    The normal means of satisfying the structural and occupant 
protection requirements of Sec.  25.562 result in a non-quantified, but 
predictable, progressive structural deformation or reduction of injury 
severity for impact conditions less than the maximum specified by the 
rule. A seat using ILD technology, however, may involve a step change 
in protection for impacts below and above that at which the ILD 
activates and deploys to retain the seat pan in place. This could 
result in structural deformation or occupant injury output being higher 
at an intermediate impact condition than that resulting from the 
maximum impact condition. It is acceptable for such step-change 
characteristics to exist, provided the resulting output does not exceed 
the maximum allowable criteria at any condition at which the ILD does 
or does not deploy, up to the maximum severity pulse specified by the 
requirements.
    The ideal triangular maximum severity pulse is defined in Advisory 
Circular (AC) 25.562-1B. For the evaluation and testing of less-severe

[[Page 26740]]

pulses for purposes of assessing the effectiveness of the ILD 
deployment setting, a similar triangular pulse should be used with 
acceleration, rise time, and velocity change scaled accordingly. The 
magnitude of the required pulse should not deviate below the ideal 
pulse by more than 0.5g until 1.33 t1 is reached, where 
t1 represents the time interval between 0 and t1 
on the referenced pulse shape as shown in AC 25.562-1B. This is an 
acceptable method of compliance to the test requirements of the special 
conditions.
    Conditions 1 through 5 address ensuring that the ILD activates when 
intended in order to provide the necessary protection of occupants. 
This includes protection of a range of occupants under various accident 
conditions. Conditions 6 through 10 address maintenance and reliability 
of the ILD, including any outside influences on the mechanism, to 
ensure it functions as intended.
    The 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.

Discussion of Comments

    The FAA issued Notice of Proposed Special Conditions No. 25-19-03-
SC, for the Boeing Model 787 series airplane, which was published in 
the Federal Register on April 29, 2019 (84 FR 17977). The FAA received 
responses from two commenters.
    One commenter writes:
    Seats are dynamically tested in upright positions to show 
compliance with 14 CFR part 25.562. In this specific installation, 
there is a mechanical or electrical actuation of the movement of the 
seat, and the following points of concern may raise:
    (1) If the motor loses electrical power before a crash during an 
actuation, can it lock the seat in a position other than that 
considered for [taxi, takeoff, and landing] TTL?
    (2) There should be included a Special Condition to address 
possible interference of lightning and high-intensity radiated fields 
on the motor or its commands;
    (3) Design features should be demanded to avoid the seat to be 
locked in an intermediate position (for example, because of fail in 
link between the seat structure and the actuator).
    The FAA clarifies, regarding the commenter's concerns about seat-
actuator motor disability and impact on the seat position due to loss 
of power or other conditions, the seat design includes a manual-
override feature to restore the seat in the required position. However, 
while the actuator motor is part of the seat-actuation system, this 
feature is not the subject of the proposed special conditions. Rather, 
the special conditions address the ILDs, which are a different 
component of the seat-actuation system and are intended to ensure that 
the seat position is maintained in the event that the structural 
capability of the actuator motor brake is exceeded during emergency-
landing conditions. The ILDs are a mechanical interlock feature and are 
not affected by loss of power or external electrical forces.
    Another commenter asks if such extra safety precautions as ILDs may 
potentially be implemented in other airplane models, adding that seats 
with inertia locking devices likely enhance air-travel safety.
    The FAA agrees that ILDs enhance airplane safety. It is possible 
that ILDs potentially will be incorporated into seat designs intended 
for installation on other airplane models. Incorporation of such a 
feature is contingent on the airplane manufacturer's determination to 
install seats that include ILDs as part of a seat-actuation system.
    The comments do not change the special conditions, and the special 
conditions are adopted as proposed.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to 
Boeing Model 787 series airplanes. Should Boeing apply at a later date 
for a change to the type certificate to include another model 
incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, these special 
conditions would apply to that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only one novel or unusual design feature on one 
model series of airplanes. It is not a rule of general applicability.

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 Boeing Model 787 series airplanes.
    In addition to the requirements of Sec.  25.562, passenger seats 
incorporating an inertia locking device (ILD) must meet the following:
    1. Level of Protection Provided by ILD--It must be demonstrated by 
test that the seats and attachments, when subject to the emergency-
landing dynamic conditions specified in Sec.  25.562, and with one ILD 
not deployed, do not experience structural failure that could result 
in:
    a. Separation of the seat from the airplane floor.
    b. Separation of any part of the seat that could form a hazard to 
the seat occupant or any other airplane occupant.
    c. Failure of the occupant restraint or any other condition that 
could result in the occupant separating from the seat.
    2. Protection Provided Below and Above the ILD Actuation 
Condition--If step-change effects on occupant protection exist for 
impacts below and above that at which the ILD deploys, tests must be 
performed to demonstrate that the occupant is shown to be protected at 
any condition at which the ILD does or does not deploy, up to the 
maximum severity pulse specified by Sec.  25.562. Test conditions must 
take into account any necessary tolerances for deployment.
    3. Protection Over a Range of Crash Pulse Vectors--The ILD must be 
shown to function as intended for all test vectors specified in Sec.  
25.562.
    4. Protection During Secondary Impacts--The ILD activation setting 
must be demonstrated to maximize the probability of the protection 
being available when needed, considering a secondary impact that is 
above the severity at which the device is intended to deploy up to the 
impact loading required by Sec.  25.562.
    5. Protection of Occupants other than 50th Percentile--Protection 
of occupants for a range of stature from a two-year-old child to a 
ninety-five percentile male must be shown.
    6. Inadvertent Operation--It must be shown that any inadvertent 
operation of the ILD does not affect the performance of the device 
during a subsequent emergency landing.
    7. Installation Protection--It must be shown that the ILD 
installation is protected from contamination and interference from 
foreign objects.
    8. Reliability--The performance of the ILD must not be altered by 
the effects of wear, manufacturing tolerances, aging or drying of 
lubricants, and corrosion.
    9. Maintenance and Functional Checks--The design, installation, and 
operation of the ILD must be such that it is possible to functionally 
check the

[[Page 26741]]

device in place. Additionally, a functional check method and a 
maintenance check interval must be included in the seat installer's 
instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) document.
    10. Release Function--If a means exists to release an inadvertently 
activated ILD, the release means must not introduce additional hidden 
failures that would prevent the ILD from functioning properly.

    Issued in Des Moines, Washington, on June 5, 2019.
Paul Siegmund,
Acting Manager, Transport Standards Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-12121 Filed 6-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

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