Federal Aviation Administration September 26, 2007 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA issues these special conditions for the Boeing Model 787-8 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These novel or unusual design features are associated with carbon fiber reinforced plastic used in the construction of the fuselage. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for impact response characteristics to ensure survivable crashworthiness. 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 standards. We will issue additional special conditions for other novel or unusual design features of the Boeing Model 787-8 airplanes.

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 787-8 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. These novel or unusual design features include wing fuel tanks constructed of carbon fiber composite materials. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards. 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 standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Boeing Model 787-8 airplanes.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Viking Air Limited Model DHC-7 airplanes. This AD requires an inspection of certain SM-200 servo drive units (power servo motor and housing assemblies) for certain markings, related investigative action if necessary, and modification if necessary. This AD results from a report that some SM-200 servo drive units that were not in configuration MOD H are installed on Model DHC-7 airplanes. MOD H prevents the internal clutch fasteners from backing out. We are issuing this AD to prevent the possibility of internal clutch fasteners from backing out, which could cause an inadvertent servo engagement and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public of a meeting of the RTCA Program Management Committee.