Special Conditions: Haeco Cabin Solutions, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Model 737-800 Airplane; Structure-Mounted Airbags, 28250-28253 [2021-11136]
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 100 / Wednesday, May 26, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
competencies to meet the requirements
of this subpart. This includes a
description of how the Federal credit
union will ensure that Senior Executive
Officers, the board of directors, and
personnel have the knowledge and
experience in accordance with the
requirements of this subpart;
(5) A description of how the Federal
credit union intends to use External
Service Providers as part of its
Derivatives program, and a list of the
name(s) of and service(s) provided by
the External Service Providers, as
described in § 703.107 of this subpart, it
intends to use;
(6) A description of how the Federal
credit union will support the operations
of Margining and collateral, as described
in § 703.104 of this subpart;
(7) A description of how the Federal
credit union will comply with the
accounting and financial reporting in
GAAP; and
(8) Any additional information
requested by the Regional Director.
(c) Application review. (1) After the
applicable Regional Director has
completed his or her review, including
any requests for additional information,
the Regional Director will notify the
Federal credit union in writing of his or
her decision. Any denials will include
the reason(s) for such denial. A Federal
credit union subject to paragraph (b) of
this section may not enter into any
Derivative transactions under this
subpart until it receives approval from
the applicable Regional Director. At a
Regional Director’s discretion, a Federal
credit union may reapply if its initial
application is denied.
(2) A Federal credit union that
receives a denial of its application may
appeal such decision in accordance
with part 746 of this chapter.
(d) Change in condition—(1) Negative
change in condition. A Federal credit
union that at any time, experiences a
change in negative condition such that
it no longer meets the requirements of
paragraph (a) of this section or renders
its approved application inaccurate
must immediately:
(i) Cease entering into any new
Derivatives; and
(ii) Notify the applicable Regional
Director.
(2) Remedial action for a Federal
credit union that experiences a negative
change in condition. The applicable
Regional Director may take all necessary
actions, including, but not limited to,
revoking a Federal credit union’s
authority to engage in Derivatives and/
or requiring divesture of current
Derivatives. A Federal credit union
subject to this paragraph may not enter
into new Derivatives unless notified in
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:33 May 25, 2021
Jkt 253001
writing by the applicable Regional
Director of its authority to do so.
(3) Positive change in condition for a
Federal credit union subject to
paragraph (b) of this section. A Federal
credit union that is required to submit
an application under paragraph (b) of
this section that, at any time after
approval of such application, meets the
requirements of paragraph (a) of this
section shall no longer be subject to the
requirements included in its approved
application, but will continue to be
subject to the requirements of this
subpart.
§ 703.109 Regulatory violation or unsafe
and unsound condition.
(a) Upon determination by the
applicable Regional Director, and
written notice by the same, a Federal
credit union that no longer meets the
requirements of this subpart; if
applicable, fails to comply with its
approved application; or is operating in
an unsafe or unsound condition must
immediately stop entering into any new
Derivative transactions until the Federal
credit union is notified by the
applicable Regional Director in writing
that it is permitted to resume engaging
in Derivative transactions under this
subpart.
(b) If the applicable Regional Director
determines a Federal credit union must
take any action under paragraph (a) of
this section, he or she will provide the
Federal credit union with written notice
including the reason(s) for such
determination and the remedial actions
that are required.
(c) During this period, however, the
Federal credit union may terminate
existing Derivative transactions. A
Regional Director may permit a Federal
credit union to enter into offsetting
transactions if he or she determines
such transactions are part of a corrective
action strategy; and
(d) A Federal credit union that
receives written notice under this
section may appeal such determination
in accordance with part 746 of the
NCUA’s regulations.
PART 741—REQUIREMENTS FOR
INSURANCE
7. The authority citation for part 741
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1757, 1766(a), 1781–
1790, and 1790d; 31 U.S.C. 3717.
8. Amend § 741.219 by revising
paragraph (b) to read as follows:
■
§ 741.219
Investment requirements.
*
*
*
*
*
(b) Any credit union that is insured
pursuant to title II of the Act must notify
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the applicable NCUA Regional Director
in writing within five business days
after entering into its first Derivatives
transaction. Such transactions do not
include those included in § 703.14 of
this chapter.
PART 746—APPEALS PROCEDURES
9. The authority citation for part 746
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1766, 1787, and 1789.
10. Amend § 746.201 by revising
paragraph (c) to read as follows:
■
§ 746.201
Authority, purpose, and scope.
*
*
*
*
*
(c) Scope. This subpart covers the
appeal of initial agency determinations
by a program office which the petitioner
has a right to appeal to the NCUA Board
under the following regulations:
§§ 701.14(e), 701.21(h)(3), 701.22(c),
701.23(h)(3), 701.32(b)(5), and
701.34(a)(4), appendix A to part 701 of
this chapter, appendix B to part 701 of
this chapter, Chapters 1–4, §§ 703.20(d),
703.108(b), 705.10(a), 708a.108(d),
708a.304(h), 708a.308(d), 709.7,
741.11(d), and 745.201(c), subpart J to
part 747 of this chapter, and § 750.6(b).
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. 2021–11055 Filed 5–25–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7535–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA–2021–0228; Special
Conditions No. 25–787–SC]
Special Conditions: Haeco Cabin
Solutions, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes Model 737–800 Airplane;
Structure-Mounted Airbags
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions.
AGENCY:
These special conditions are
issued for the Boeing Commercial
Airplanes (Boeing) Model 737–800
airplane. This airplane, as modified by
Haeco Cabin Solutions (Haeco), 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 structure-mounted airbags designed to
protect each occupant from serious head
injury in the event of an emergency
landing. The applicable airworthiness
regulations do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for this
SUMMARY:
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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 100 / Wednesday, May 26, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
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 May 26, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John
Shelden, Human Machine Interface,
AIR–626, 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–
3214; email John.Shelden@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 1, 2020, Haeco applied
for a supplemental type certificate for
structure-mounted airbags in the Boeing
Model 737–800 airplane. The Boeing
Model 737–800 airplane, which is a
derivative of the Boeing Model 737
airplane currently approved under Type
Certificate No. A16WE, is a twin-engine,
transport-category airplane with seating
for 189 passengers and a maximum
takeoff weight of 174,200 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.101,
Haeco must show that the Boeing Model
737–800 airplane, as changed, continues
to meet the applicable provisions of the
regulations listed in Type Certificate No.
A16WE 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 Boeing Model 737–800 airplane
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 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 737–800
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.
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18:33 May 25, 2021
Jkt 253001
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 Boeing Model 737–800 airplane
will incorporate the following novel or
unusual design features:
Airbags mounted to structure to
prevent head injury.
Discussion
Haeco will install structure-mounted
airbags instead of inflatable lap belts as
a means to protect each occupant from
serious injury in the event of an
emergency landing, as required by
§ 25.562(c)(5), on 737–800 airplanes.
Such use of airbags to provide injury
protection for the occupant is a novel or
unusual feature for this airplane model,
and the applicable airworthiness
regulations do not contain adequate or
appropriate airworthiness standards for
these design features. Therefore, special
conditions are needed to address
requirements particular to installation of
airbags in this manner.
Special conditions exist for airbags
installed on seat belts, known as
inflatable lap belts, which have been
installed on transport airplane
passenger seats. Structure-mounted
airbags, although a novel design, were
first introduced on Jetstream Aircraft
Limited Model 4100 series airplanes,
which resulted in issuance of Special
Conditions 25–ANM–127 on May 14,
1997. These special conditions
supplemented 14 CFR part 25 and, more
specifically, §§ 25.562 and 25.785.
The structure-mounted airbag, similar
to the inflatable lap belt, is designed to
limit occupant forward excursion in the
event of an emergency landing. These
airbags will reduce the potential for
serious injury, including reducing the
head-injury criterion measurement
defined in part 25. However, structuremounted airbags function similarly as
automotive airbags, where the airbag
deploys from furniture located in front
of the passenger, relative to the
airplane’s direction of flight, forming a
barrier between the structure and
occupant. Also, unlike the inflatable lap
belt, the structure-mounted airbag does
not move with the occupant. To account
for out-of-position and brace-position
occupants, the airbag is designed to
conform to the curvature of the exposed
structure in the head-strike zone.
Because the airbag system is
essentially a single-use device, it could
deploy under crash conditions that are
not sufficiently so severe as to require
the injury protection the airbag system
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28251
provides. Because an actual crash is
frequently composed of a series of
impacts before the airplane comes to
rest, a larger impact following the initial
impact could render the airbag system
unavailable. This potential situation
does not exist with standard upper-torso
restraints, which tend to provide
continuous protection regardless of
impact severity, or number of impacts,
in a crash event. Therefore, the airbag
system installation should be such that
it provides protection, when it is
required, by not expending its
protection when it is not required. If the
airbag deployment threshold is
unnecessarily low, the airbag would
need to continue to provide protection
when an impact requiring protection
occurs.
These special conditions are based
upon Special Conditions 25–605–SC for
the Boeing Model 787–9 airplanes
equipped with B/E Aerospace SuperDiamond model business-class
passenger seats and associated furniture.
Additionally, the special conditions
address protection of the occupant’s
neck and spine for the structuremounted airbag deployment. When
using the HIC15 head-injury method for
airbag impacts (calculated in accordance
with 49 CFR 571.208) the neck and
spine limits are included as part of the
allowance.
These additional conditions are based
on special conditions issued previously
on oblique seats. The proposed 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. 25–21–01–SC
for the Boeing Model 737–800 series
airplane, which was published in the
Federal Register on March 16, 2021 (86
FR 14387). No comments were received,
and the special conditions are adopted
as proposed.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special
conditions are applicable to the Boeing
Model 737–800 airplane as modified by
Haeco. Should Haeco apply at a later
date for a supplemental type certificate
to modify any other model included on
Type Certificate No. A16WE to
incorporate the same novel or unusual
design feature, these special conditions
would apply to that model as well.
Under standard practice, the effective
date of final special conditions would
be 30 days after the date of publication
in the Federal Register. However, as the
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certification date is imminent, the FAA
finds that good cause exists to make
these special conditions effective upon
publication.
Conclusion
This action affects only a 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.
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
737–800 airplanes, as modified by
Haeco Cabin Solutions:
1. The applicant must demonstrate by
test that the structure-mounted airbag
will deploy and provide protection
under crash conditions where it is
necessary to prevent serious injury to a
50th percentile occupant, as specified in
§ 25.562. The means of protection must
provide a consistent approach to energy
absorption for a range of occupants,
from a two-year-old child to a 95th
percentile male. In addition, the
following situations should be
considered:
1. The seat occupant is holding an
infant.
2. The seat occupant is a child in a
child restraint device.
3. The seat occupant is a child not
using a child restraint device.
4. The seat occupant is a pregnant
woman.
a. Head-Injury Criteria
Compliance with § 25.562(c)(5) is
required, except that, if the ATD has no
apparent contact with the seat/structure
but has contact with an airbag, a headinjury 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.
b. 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
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18:33 May 25, 2021
Jkt 253001
surface for the expected range of
occupants and yaw angles, then
additional analysis or tests 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 tests may
be necessary to evaluate performance.
c. 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.
(1) 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:
(a) Fzc = 1,530 lb for tension
(b) Fzc = 1,385 lb for compression
(c) Myc = 229 lb-ft in flexion
(d) Myc = 100 lb-ft in extension
(2) In addition, peak Fz must be below
937 lb in tension and 899 lb in
compression.
(3) Rotation of the head about its
vertical axis, relative to the torso, is
limited to 105 degrees in either
direction from forward-facing.
(4) The neck must not impact any
surface that would produce
concentrated loading on the neck.
d. ATD and Test Conditions
Longitudinal tests conducted to
measure the injury criteria above must
be performed with the FAA Hybrid III
ATD, as described in SAE 1999–01–
1609, ‘‘A Lumbar Spine Modification to
the Hybrid III ATD for Aircraft Seat
Tests.’’ The tests must be conducted
with an undeformed floor, at the mostcritical yaw cases for injury, and with
all lateral structural supports (e.g.,
armrests or walls) installed.
Note: Applicant must demonstrate
that the installation of seats via plinths
or pallets meets all applicable
requirements. Compliance with the
guidance contained in policy
memorandum PS–ANM–100–2000–
00123, ‘‘Guidance for Demonstrating
Compliance with Seat Dynamic Testing
for Plinths and Pallets,’’ dated February
2, 2000, is acceptable to the FAA.
2. The structure-mounted airbag must
provide adequate protection for each
occupant regardless of the number of
occupants of the seat assembly.
3. The structure-mounted airbag
system must not be susceptible to
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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.
4. The applicant must demonstrate
that an inadvertent deployment that
could cause injury to a standing or
sitting person is improbable. Inadvertent
deployment must not cause injury to
anyone who may be positioned close to
the structure-mounted airbag (e.g.,
seated in an adjacent seat, or standing
adjacent to the airbag installation or the
subject seat). Cases where a structuremounted airbag is inadvertently
deployed near a seated occupant or an
empty seat must be considered.
5. Inadvertent deployment of the
structure-mounted airbag during the
most critical part of flight will either not
cause a hazard to the airplane or is
extremely improbable.
6. Deployment of the structuremounted airbag must not introduce
hazards or injury mechanisms to the
seated occupant, including occupants in
the brace position. Deployment of the
structure-mounted airbag must also not
result in injuries that could impede
rapid exit from the airplane.
7. Effects of the deflection and
deformation of the structure to which
the airbag is attached must be taken into
account when evaluating deployment
and location of the inflated airbag. The
effect of loads imposed by airbag
deployment, or stowed components
where applicable, must also be taken
into account.
8. The applicant must demonstrate
that the structure-mounted airbag, when
deployed, does not impair access to the
seatbelt- or harness-release means, and
must not hinder evacuation. This will
include consideration of adjacent seat
places and the aisle.
9. The airbag, once deployed, must
not adversely affect the emergencylighting system, and must not block
escape-path lighting to the extent that
the light(s) no longer meet their
intended function.
10. The structure-mounted airbag
must not impede occupants’ rapid exit
from the airplane 10 seconds after its
deployment.
11. Where structure-mounted airbag
systems are installed in or close to
passenger evacuation routes (other than
for the passenger seat for which the
airbag is installed), possibility of impact
on emergency evacuation (e.g., hanging
in the aisle, potential trip hazard, etc.)
must be evaluated.
12. The airbag electronic system must
be designed to be protected from
lightning per § 25.1316(b), and high-
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intensity radiated fields per
§ 25.1317(c).
13. The structure-mounted airbag
system must not contain or release
hazardous quantities of gas or
particulate matter into the cabin.
14. The structure-mounted airbag
installation must be protected from the
effects of fire such that no hazard to
occupants will result.
15. The inflatable bag material must
meet the 2.5-inches-per-minute
horizontal flammability test defined in
14 CFR part 25, appendix F, part I,
paragraph (a)(1)(iv).
16. The design of the structuremounted airbag system must protect the
mechanisms and controls from external
contamination associated with that
which could occur on or around
passenger seating.
17. The structure-mounted airbag
system must have a means to verify the
integrity of the structure-mounted airbag
activation system.
18. The applicant must provide
installation limitations to ensure
installation compatibility between the
seat design and opposing monument or
structure.
Issued in Kansas City, MO, on May 21,
2021.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy
Branch, Policy and Innovation Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 95
[Docket No. 31372; Amdt. No. 559]
IFR Altitudes; Miscellaneous
Amendments
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
This amendment adopts
miscellaneous amendments to the
required IFR (instrument flight rules)
SUMMARY:
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18:33 May 25, 2021
Jkt 253001
altitudes and changeover points for
certain Federal airways, jet routes, or
direct routes for which a minimum or
maximum en route authorized IFR
altitude is prescribed. This regulatory
action is needed because of changes
occurring in the National Airspace
System. These changes are designed to
provide for the safe and efficient use of
the navigable airspace under instrument
conditions in the affected areas.
DATES: Effective 0901 UTC, June 17,
2021.
effective date of this amendment reflects
those considerations. In view of the
close and immediate relationship
between these regulatory changes and
safety in air commerce, I find that notice
and public procedure before adopting
this amendment are impracticable and
contrary to the public interest and that
good cause exists for making the
amendment effective in less than 30
days.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
The FAA has determined that this
regulation only involves an established
body of technical regulations for which
frequent and routine amendments are
necessary to keep them operationally
current. It, therefore—(1) is not a
‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under
Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a
‘‘significant rule’’ under DOT
Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44
FR 11034; February 26, 1979); and (3)
does not warrant preparation of a
regulatory evaluation as the anticipated
impact is so minimal. For the same
reason, the FAA certifies that this
amendment will not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial
number of small entities under the
criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Thomas J. Nichols, Flight Procedures
and Airspace Group, Flight
Technologies and Procedures Division,
Flight Standards Service, Federal
Aviation Administration. Mailing
Address: FAA Mike Monroney
Aeronautical Center, Flight Procedures
and Airspace Group, 6500 South
MacArthur Blvd., Registry Bldg 29,
Room 104, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.
Telephone: (405) 954–4164.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
amendment to part 95 of the Federal
Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 95)
amends, suspends, or revokes IFR
altitudes governing the operation of all
aircraft in flight over a specified route
or any portion of that route, as well as
the changeover points (COPs) for
Federal airways, jet routes, or direct
routes as prescribed in part 95.
The Rule
[FR Doc. 2021–11136 Filed 5–25–21; 8:45 am]
28253
The specified IFR altitudes, when
used in conjunction with the prescribed
changeover points for those routes,
ensure navigation aid coverage that is
adequate for safe flight operations and
free of frequency interference. The
reasons and circumstances that create
the need for this amendment involve
matters of flight safety and operational
efficiency in the National Airspace
System, are related to published
aeronautical charts that are essential to
the user, and provide for the safe and
efficient use of the navigable airspace.
In addition, those various reasons or
circumstances require making this
amendment effective before the next
scheduled charting and publication date
of the flight information to assure its
timely availability to the user. The
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Conclusion
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 95
Airspace, Navigation (air).
Issued in Washington, DC, on May 19,
2021.
Thomas J. Nichols,
Aviation Safety, Manager, Flight Procedures
& Airspace Group, Flight Technologies and
Procedures Division.
Adoption of the Amendment
Accordingly, pursuant to the
authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, part 95 of the Federal
Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 95) is
amended as follows effective at 0901
UTC, June 17, 2021.
1. The authority citation for part 95
continues to read as follows:
■
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40106,
40113, 40114, 40120, 44502, 44514, 44719,
44721.
2. Part 95 is amended to read as
follows:
■
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 28250-28253]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11136]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2021-0228; Special Conditions No. 25-787-SC]
Special Conditions: Haeco Cabin Solutions, Boeing Commercial
Airplanes Model 737-800 Airplane; Structure-Mounted Airbags
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Commercial
Airplanes (Boeing) Model 737-800 airplane. This airplane, as modified
by Haeco Cabin Solutions (Haeco), 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 structure-mounted airbags designed to protect each occupant
from serious head injury in the event of an emergency landing. The
applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for this
[[Page 28251]]
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 May 26, 2021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Shelden, Human Machine Interface,
AIR-626, 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 206-231-3214; email [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 1, 2020, Haeco applied for a supplemental type
certificate for structure-mounted airbags in the Boeing Model 737-800
airplane. The Boeing Model 737-800 airplane, which is a derivative of
the Boeing Model 737 airplane currently approved under Type Certificate
No. A16WE, is a twin-engine, transport-category airplane with seating
for 189 passengers and a maximum takeoff weight of 174,200 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Haeco must show that the Boeing Model 737-800 airplane, as
changed, continues to meet the applicable provisions of the regulations
listed in Type Certificate No. A16WE 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 Boeing Model 737-800 airplane
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 Boeing Model 737-800 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.
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 Boeing Model 737-800 airplane will incorporate the following
novel or unusual design features:
Airbags mounted to structure to prevent head injury.
Discussion
Haeco will install structure-mounted airbags instead of inflatable
lap belts as a means to protect each occupant from serious injury in
the event of an emergency landing, as required by Sec. 25.562(c)(5),
on 737-800 airplanes.
Such use of airbags to provide injury protection for the occupant
is a novel or unusual feature for this airplane model, and the
applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or
appropriate airworthiness standards for these design features.
Therefore, special conditions are needed to address requirements
particular to installation of airbags in this manner.
Special conditions exist for airbags installed on seat belts, known
as inflatable lap belts, which have been installed on transport
airplane passenger seats. Structure-mounted airbags, although a novel
design, were first introduced on Jetstream Aircraft Limited Model 4100
series airplanes, which resulted in issuance of Special Conditions 25-
ANM-127 on May 14, 1997. These special conditions supplemented 14 CFR
part 25 and, more specifically, Sec. Sec. 25.562 and 25.785.
The structure-mounted airbag, similar to the inflatable lap belt,
is designed to limit occupant forward excursion in the event of an
emergency landing. These airbags will reduce the potential for serious
injury, including reducing the head-injury criterion measurement
defined in part 25. However, structure-mounted airbags function
similarly as automotive airbags, where the airbag deploys from
furniture located in front of the passenger, relative to the airplane's
direction of flight, forming a barrier between the structure and
occupant. Also, unlike the inflatable lap belt, the structure-mounted
airbag does not move with the occupant. To account for out-of-position
and brace-position occupants, the airbag is designed to conform to the
curvature of the exposed structure in the head-strike zone.
Because the airbag system is essentially a single-use device, it
could deploy under crash conditions that are not sufficiently so severe
as to require the injury protection the airbag system provides. Because
an actual crash is frequently composed of a series of impacts before
the airplane comes to rest, a larger impact following the initial
impact could render the airbag system unavailable. This potential
situation does not exist with standard upper-torso restraints, which
tend to provide continuous protection regardless of impact severity, or
number of impacts, in a crash event. Therefore, the airbag system
installation should be such that it provides protection, when it is
required, by not expending its protection when it is not required. If
the airbag deployment threshold is unnecessarily low, the airbag would
need to continue to provide protection when an impact requiring
protection occurs.
These special conditions are based upon Special Conditions 25-605-
SC for the Boeing Model 787-9 airplanes equipped with B/E Aerospace
Super-Diamond model business-class passenger seats and associated
furniture. Additionally, the special conditions address protection of
the occupant's neck and spine for the structure-mounted airbag
deployment. When using the HIC15 head-injury method for airbag impacts
(calculated in accordance with 49 CFR 571.208) the neck and spine
limits are included as part of the allowance.
These additional conditions are based on special conditions issued
previously on oblique seats. The proposed 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. 25-21-01-
SC for the Boeing Model 737-800 series airplane, which was published in
the Federal Register on March 16, 2021 (86 FR 14387). No comments were
received, and the special conditions are adopted as proposed.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Boeing Model 737-800 airplane as modified by Haeco. Should Haeco apply
at a later date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other
model included on Type Certificate No. A16WE to incorporate the same
novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions would apply
to that model as well.
Under standard practice, the effective date of final special
conditions would be 30 days after the date of publication in the
Federal Register. However, as the
[[Page 28252]]
certification date is imminent, the FAA finds that good cause exists to
make these special conditions effective upon publication.
Conclusion
This action affects only a 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.
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 737-800 airplanes, as
modified by Haeco Cabin Solutions:
1. The applicant must demonstrate by test that the structure-
mounted airbag will deploy and provide protection under crash
conditions where it is necessary to prevent serious injury to a 50th
percentile occupant, as specified in Sec. 25.562. The means of
protection must provide a consistent approach to energy absorption for
a range of occupants, from a two-year-old child to a 95th percentile
male. In addition, the following situations should be considered:
1. The seat occupant is holding an infant.
2. The seat occupant is a child in a child restraint device.
3. The seat occupant is a child not using a child restraint device.
4. The seat occupant is a pregnant woman.
a. Head-Injury Criteria
Compliance with Sec. 25.562(c)(5) is required, except that, if the
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.
b. 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 or
tests 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 tests may be necessary to evaluate
performance.
c. 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.
(1) 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:
(a) Fzc = 1,530 lb for tension
(b) Fzc = 1,385 lb for compression
(c) Myc = 229 lb-ft in flexion
(d) Myc = 100 lb-ft in extension
(2) In addition, peak Fz must be below 937 lb in tension
and 899 lb in compression.
(3) Rotation of the head about its vertical axis, relative to the
torso, is limited to 105 degrees in either direction from forward-
facing.
(4) The neck must not impact any surface that would produce
concentrated loading on the neck.
d. ATD and Test Conditions
Longitudinal tests conducted to measure the injury criteria above
must be performed with the FAA Hybrid III ATD, as described in SAE
1999-01-1609, ``A Lumbar Spine Modification to the Hybrid III ATD for
Aircraft Seat Tests.'' The tests must be conducted with an undeformed
floor, at the most-critical yaw cases for injury, and with all lateral
structural supports (e.g., armrests or walls) installed.
Note: Applicant must demonstrate that the installation of seats via
plinths or pallets meets all applicable requirements. Compliance with
the guidance contained in policy memorandum PS-ANM-100-2000-00123,
``Guidance for Demonstrating Compliance with Seat Dynamic Testing for
Plinths and Pallets,'' dated February 2, 2000, is acceptable to the
FAA.
2. The structure-mounted airbag must provide adequate protection
for each occupant regardless of the number of occupants of the seat
assembly.
3. The structure-mounted airbag system must not 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.
4. The applicant must demonstrate that an inadvertent deployment
that could cause injury to a standing or sitting person is improbable.
Inadvertent deployment must not cause injury to anyone who may be
positioned close to the structure-mounted airbag (e.g., seated in an
adjacent seat, or standing adjacent to the airbag installation or the
subject seat). Cases where a structure-mounted airbag is inadvertently
deployed near a seated occupant or an empty seat must be considered.
5. Inadvertent deployment of the structure-mounted airbag during
the most critical part of flight will either not cause a hazard to the
airplane or is extremely improbable.
6. Deployment of the structure-mounted airbag must not introduce
hazards or injury mechanisms to the seated occupant, including
occupants in the brace position. Deployment of the structure-mounted
airbag must also not result in injuries that could impede rapid exit
from the airplane.
7. Effects of the deflection and deformation of the structure to
which the airbag is attached must be taken into account when evaluating
deployment and location of the inflated airbag. The effect of loads
imposed by airbag deployment, or stowed components where applicable,
must also be taken into account.
8. The applicant must demonstrate that the structure-mounted
airbag, when deployed, does not impair access to the seatbelt- or
harness-release means, and must not hinder evacuation. This will
include consideration of adjacent seat places and the aisle.
9. The airbag, once deployed, must not adversely affect the
emergency-lighting system, and must not block escape-path lighting to
the extent that the light(s) no longer meet their intended function.
10. The structure-mounted airbag must not impede occupants' rapid
exit from the airplane 10 seconds after its deployment.
11. Where structure-mounted airbag systems are installed in or
close to passenger evacuation routes (other than for the passenger seat
for which the airbag is installed), possibility of impact on emergency
evacuation (e.g., hanging in the aisle, potential trip hazard, etc.)
must be evaluated.
12. The airbag electronic system must be designed to be protected
from lightning per Sec. 25.1316(b), and high-
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intensity radiated fields per Sec. 25.1317(c).
13. The structure-mounted airbag system must not contain or release
hazardous quantities of gas or particulate matter into the cabin.
14. The structure-mounted airbag installation must be protected
from the effects of fire such that no hazard to occupants will result.
15. The inflatable bag material must meet the 2.5-inches-per-minute
horizontal flammability test defined in 14 CFR part 25, appendix F,
part I, paragraph (a)(1)(iv).
16. The design of the structure-mounted airbag system must protect
the mechanisms and controls from external contamination associated with
that which could occur on or around passenger seating.
17. The structure-mounted airbag system must have a means to verify
the integrity of the structure-mounted airbag activation system.
18. The applicant must provide installation limitations to ensure
installation compatibility between the seat design and opposing
monument or structure.
Issued in Kansas City, MO, on May 21, 2021.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-11136 Filed 5-25-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
