Federal Aviation Administration March 1, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA proposes to amend certain airworthiness regulations for transport category airplanes, based on recommendations from the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC). Adopting this proposal would eliminate regulatory differences between the airworthiness standards of the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This proposal would not add new requirements beyond what manufacturers currently meet for EASA certification and would not affect current industry design practices. This proposal would revise the structural test requirements necessary when analysis has not been found reliable; clarify the quality control, inspection, and testing requirements for critical and non-critical castings; add control system requirements that consider structural deflection and vibration loads; expand the fuel tank structural and system requirements regarding emergency landing conditions and landing gear failure conditions; add a requirement that engine mount failure due to overload must not cause hazardous fuel spillage; and revise the inertial forces requirements for cargo compartments by removing the exclusion of compartments located below or forward of all occupants in the airplane.