U S Oe po rt rne n t o f lr onsponot cn Federa l Avloti · on Administrotiol"'

December 18, 2012

Mr. William 

### J. Er tle II STC ODA Administrator PATS A ircraft , LLC 21652 Nanticoke A venue Georgetown , D E 19947

D ea r Mr. Ertle: Exe mpti o n No. 10674 Transport A i rplane Directorate 1601 LindAvenue , S.W

. Renton, Washington 98057-3356

Regulatory Docket No. FAA

- 20 12-0841

Thi s le tter is to info rm you that we ha ve granted your req uest for exempt ion. It transmits our decision, expla ins its basis , and describes the conditions and limitations of the exemption. 

### The Basis for Our Decision By le tter dated Aug u st 8, 20 1 2, you petitioned the Federal Av iation Administration (FAA) , on behalf of PATS Aircraft , LLC, for exemption f rom §§ 25.785(h)(2) , 25.785 (j) , 25.813(e) , and 25.853(d) ofTitle 14 , Code of Federa l Regulations (14 CFR). This exe m pt ion permits PATS Airc raft, LLC , r e li ef from certain requirements relating to flight-attendant seatin g , firm handhold s along aisles , interior doors between passenger compartments , and heat-release rates of certain cabin interior materials on a Boeing Model 737-900 a irpl ane , serial no. 37632, designated as a business jet. The FAA has determined that good cause exists for wa i ving the requirement for F ederal R egister publication fo r public comment because th e request is identical in all material respects to previously granted exemptions , and the exemption , i f g ranted , would not set a precedent. The FAA has i ssue d grants of exemp tion in c ircu m sta n ces similar in all material respects to those presen t ed in you r petition. In Ex e mption No. 9794 (cop y enclos e d) , th e FAA fou nd that gran t ing this exemption is i n th e public interest for the reasons stated b y the petitioner , and because the FAA is directed to take i n to account th e type of a irplane operation when es tabli shing standards under Title 49 of the United States Code (49 U
. S
. C. 44701 (d)). Having reviewed you r reasons for request in g an exempt i o n , I find that-• they do n ' t differ materially from tho se presented by the petitioner in the e nclos ed grant of exem ption , and; • the rea so n s sta ted by the FAA for g ranting the enclosed exe mption also apply to the sit u ation yo u prese nt Therefore , a g r a nt of exe mption i s in th e public interest. Our Decision In consid e ration of the for ego in g, I find that a g ra nt of exemption i s in th e public interes t. Therefore , p urs uan t to the authority contained in 49 U .S.C. 40113 and 44 70 I , delegated to me by the Admin i s trator , I grant the petition of PAT S Aircraft , LL C, for a n exe mp tion from 14 CFR 25.785( h )(2), 25 .7850) , 25.813 (e), and 25 .853(d) to the extent necessary to allow in s tallation of an exec uti ve int e ri or o n a " pr iva t e, not-for-hire " Bo e in g Model 737-900 a irplane , se r ial number 37632. Spec ificall y, the exe mption allows re li ef from the req u irement s for flight-attendant direct view, firm han dho ld s in th e passen ger compart m ent, interior doors b e tw ee n passenger compartments , a nd maximum heat-re l ease flammability require me nt s for la rge interior panels. Thi s exe mption is sub j ect to th e co nditi o n s specified in the enc losed exemption. Sincere l y,

# !~~**c\6-** Acting Manage r , Transport Airp l ane Dir ec t o rate Ai r craft Certification Se rv ice 2Exe mption No. 9794

UNITE D STATES OF AMERI CA D E PARTME NT OF TRANSPORTAT I ON FEDERAL AYI ATION A DMI N I STRAT I ON RE NTON. WA S H I NGTON 98057-3356

In the matter of the petition of Go re Desi g n C omp let i ons , Ltd. for an l!Xem p tion fro m**~§** 25. 785{h)(2). 25. 785(j), 25.8 1 3(c), and 25.853(d) of Ti tl e 14, Co d e of Federal Re g u lat io n s R eg ul atory Docket No. FAA-2008- 1004

PARTIAL GRANT OF EX EMPT I ON B y le tter dated Se pt e mber I I , 2008, M r . Andrew G fr crc r, Ce rti li ca ti o n Manager , Gore Des ig n Completio n , Ltd
.. 607
. F rank Luke Drive, San Antonio. Texas, 78226. petitio ned the Federal Avia ti on Administration (FAA) for an exem pti on from th e fo ll owing sections ofTi t le 14, Code of Federa l R egulat ions ( 14 CFR): 25. 785(h)(2)
. 25.785U), 25.813(c), and 25.853(cl). T he p roposed exempt ion, if gra nt e d , wou ld pe rm it r e li ef from th e requir e ments fo r night attendan t direct view
. 

### finn handholds in the passenger compartment. interior doo rs between passenger comp artments. and maximum heat release nammability requi rements for large interior p anels. The proposed exemption is spcci fically for the insta ll ati on of an executive interior on one Boein g Mode l 737-800 airp lane, se rial number 35792
. de s ignated as " private, not -f or- hir e. " T h e petit ioner r eq u ests r e li e f fr o m th e foll ow in g r eg u la t io n s : Section 25. 785( h )(2 ), A m e ndm e nt 25

- 72

- Flight atte nd ant sc ats mu st be l oca ted to p rovide direct view of the cabin area. Sec t i o n 25
. 785 U) , Amendment 25

- 72

- R eq uir(! S a .. firm handhold
.. along each aisle Sec ti o n 25
. 813(e), Ame nd ment 25

- 76

- No door may be in s ta ll ed in an y partiti on betwe e n pas senge r compartments. Se ction 25.853 ( d ), A m e ndm e n t 25-1 1 6- Limit s maximum heat releas e rates for large panel cabi n int e ri or materia ls.The petitioner s upp orts its r ·c qu cst with the followin g info rma tion. Thi s infonnation is quot e d from the petition
.

BACKGRO UN D : Gore D es ig n Co mp le ti o n . Ltd
. h as bee n co ntrac t e d f or th e co mpl e ti o n of an e xec u ti\ ·c bu s in ess int e r io r o n a B oe in g Mo d e l 73 7

- 800 airpl a ne. Th e 

### r: AA ha s acc e pt e d o ur o ne -tim e o nl y S T C appli ca ti o n and a s s igned Pro j ec t umb e r ST 89 45S C- T f o r thi s pr oj ect. The certi fi ca ti o n ba s is for th e Boein g 737-800 is [p]art 25 , Amendm e nt 2 5

- 1 thTough 25-77, w ith so m e re g ulati o n s vo lunt ar il y comp lied wi th up t o [ A ]m e ndm e nt 25

- 9 1
. Th e re arc goo d t ec hni ca l ar g um e nts to s upp o t 1 s pe c ial c onsid e rati o n f o r pri v at e usc airplan es: th e airplan e s ar e no t f o r publi c hire a nd the y ar e co nfi g ure d t o c a rry a fr ac ti o n o f th e p as s e ngers carri e d in a irlin e se rvi ce . For th ese rea s on s, Gor e Des ig n Co mpl e ti o n , Ltd. has prepared a p e t iti o n f o r e xemp ti on [ fr o m ] th e follow ing reg ulat ion s: 14 C F R 25
. 78 5(1t ){2)
. Ame ndm e nt 25-72- Fl i g ht attendant s e at s mu s t b e located t o provide di rec t v ie w o f th e c abin area. I-I C FR ]5.8/J(e). A me n d me nt 25-76 -No d oo r may b e in s tall e d in an y p artiti on b et,vce n p asse nger co mp artm e n ts. 14 CFR 25.785(j). Am e n d me nt 25-72- R eq uires a "firm handh o ld'' a l o ng each ai s le. 14 CFR 25
. 853( d

)
. Amendm e nt 25- 11 6- Limit s max imum he at re le a se rat es for larg e pan e l c ab in int e ri o r mat e ria ls. DIS CUSS I ON : 14 C FR [ part ) 25 gove rn s des i g n cc rtili catio n o f tr ansport ca tegory airpl an es. T h e prim ary int e nt of th ese r eg ulati o n s, as w ritt e n , a r e to b e ce rt a in th at a irpl ane manufacture rs prov id e th e appro pri ate d es ig n f e ature s to mee t th e s tandard s nec essa r y to prot ec t th e tr ave lin g publi c. C lea rl y . th e re is a re quire me nt '' in th e publi c int e res t" and in th e interes t o f s a fe t y L O pr ov ide reg ul a t o r

y g uidelin es for cc r1i fica ti o n . Howeve r. i t is a lso ve r y clear these re g ulati o n s arc int e nded to**r~ ul** **ate** the cc rtili ca ti on of"commcrcia l' ' uirp lancs . w h ic h are · 'f\) r h ire" t o the ge neral pu bl ic. While th e greatest maj o ri ty of these regu lations re pr es ent a commo n se n se in cl u s io n for a ny a ircrali rega r d less 

# o r it' s int e nd ed u s e. a few arc ob vi o u s lyintended to r egu late s ituati ons th at an: spcci fie to an ai rl ine, or for hire operation. When a transport ca te go ry airplane is ope rat ed und e r 14 CFR [p]art 91 or [p)art 125 , so m e of th e [p lart 25 rul es have acceptance c riteria that a rc inappropriate, or arc no t co mpatibl e w it h the ty p e 

## or operat i o n and th e int e nd e d u se o f this airp lane. The FAA clear ly recogn izes these differences as ev id enced by the issuance of Exe mpti on numbers 6820A, 6822. 7489 and numerous o th e rs wh ich el iminat e many of t h e m ore o nerou s r egul atio n s when appl ie d to ··private use. not-for-hire
.. operations under 14 Cf- R [p)art 125. BA S I S FO R EXE MP T IO N: Th e ai rp lan e th ai is th e subject of thi s petiti o n is a Boe in g Mode l 737-800. It is privately ow ne d and wi ll be ope rated und e r [p)art 125 regulat i o n s o r othe r e quival e nt no n-US foreign national operational s tandard. The interior configuration being installed in this airplane will pro\'idc sea tin g fo r twenty seven (27) passengers. Th e maximum cert ified passenge r cou nt for this a irplane is 1 89 sca t s. The passenger cou nt of th e s ubject airplane rep resen ts just 14% of th e ca pa ci ty a ll owed for thi s ai q)l anc. R e gulation 14 C FR 15. 785(11)(1) Customers arc buying these large ai rplan es as an exte n s ion of the office and are requiring privacy areas \\"ithin the airplane somet im es spanning the ,, ·hole cabin. such as board rooms, bedrooms. la\'atorics. and lounges rath e r than tr aditional a irlin e typ e seating. An exempt ion to the Oight a tt e nd ant direct view r equ ireme nt is the r e f

ore needed t o allow th e full use of the airplane capabi l ities. ln addition
. th is r e quir emen t was in cor p o rat ed into th e 

## r AA rul es through (A)mendmcn t 25

- 5 1
. Out of th e co mm e nt s s ubmitt ed to the FAA duri n g th e NPRM co mm e nt s pe ri od, tw o sai d th at , if galley do ors we re used as eme rge ncy exi t s, the placement of an allendam scat ncar th e exi t prcc lud c[sJ com plianc e wi th the req uirement that the allcndant he provided \\"ith direct view of the cabin area. T o cover thi s situation. it was sugges ted that the requiremem be conditioned to ap pl y in so far 

### as pract icable and without compromising the proximity to required noor IC\'CI exits. The FAA concu rred and furt her sta t ed in the preamble to th e final rules that

.. location t)l
. the flight attendant scats ncar the lloor level ex it s in thi s case is m o re imp or t a nt than the requirement to have a direct v iew of th e cab in:· T he fina l rule was revised from the NPRM proposa l to add r ess this r e lati ve importance.

3R eg ulation 14 CFR 25.813(e) Th e r e will be two mechanical "poc k e t .. type doors ( located at corridor I Pl ayi n g Area a nd Dining Area/T h eater Area) tha t are located betwee n p asse n ge r co mpartm e nt s . T he re i s also a m ec h a nical · ·p ocke t " doo r ( l ocated be tw ee n the Th eate r Area / Master S uit e), and a sw in g door (lo ca t ed between Mast e r Suite and Master Lav atory), h oweve r , th ese doors are not between passenger compa rtm e nt s and these doors do no t apply to this exempti on re qu est. Eac h door between passenger co mpartm e nts will hav e th e f o llowin g desig n features: dua l l atc h es (eac h of which arc able to wit h s t a nd the for ces d e fined by 1 4 CFR 25.561) to sec ur e th em in the open position , cockp it annunciation ofth e door p os ition for taxi, tak e - off and l and in g, and th e d oo r s will be frangible in the eve nt th a t th ey should b eco m e s tu ck in the closed position. In addition, si nc e th e a ft emergency ex i ts arc d eact i vated, the door b e twe e n th e Theat e r Area/Master S uit e will b e in th e closed position for taxi , take-off, and landing. Regulation 1 4 CFR 25. 7 85(tf) C u s to m ers are buying ai rplan es because th ey wis h to create a spacious and impressive atmosphere they are u sed to. The wide body of the 8 737-800 sa ti sfies the se requirement s. On the other hand , th e re quire m e nt for fim 1 hand hold alon g th e aisles can not be m et for c e rtain a re a s in th e pas se n ge r cab in du e to th e w id e o pen s pac es. On a t y pi ca l "co mm e r c i a l " flight this requiren1ent i s me t by th e individual seat backs w hi ch typically provi d e an adequate hand hold fo r a passenger to stab ili ze themselves in the aisle du ri ng turbulenc e. I n fact due to the s paciousness of the interior there i s n o readily identifi ab le "aisle' ' in the P l a y in g areas. A n y co n s tr uc ti on h a ngin g from the cei lin g would ruin th e appearance of th e h ig h quality interior , i s not acce ptable to the custo m e r , a nd may a dd addit i o n al safe ty concerns. I t h as been acknowledged b y the FAA that the passengers o n this type of airplane arc ty pi ca ll y t he same people on most of the trip s. Familiar ity with th e ai rpl a n e l ayo ut a nd operation pro v ides an add iti o n benefit towards the l eve l of safe t y. R egulation 14 CFR 25.853(d) Wit h the sudden g r ow th in the V I P or executive transport airplane market together wit h the simu lt aneous in troduction of more stringent interior material nammabi li ty s t an d a r ds, aircraft interior modifiers h ave been faced w ith a se ri ous d il em m a in r eso l vi n g th e s t y l ing r eq uir e m ents o f th e private air craft owner / operator of these executive airc r aft and the nammabil it y requi remenrs impo s ed by§ 25.853. For the most part, modifiers have been able to simultaneously sa t isfy both the styling and interior material fla mma bil i ry 4n.:quiremcnL s**of§~** 25.853(a) and (c) with g rea t cllort and diligenc e; ho\ovcve r, man y olthe mat e ri a ls required in th ese aircralt i nteriors s impl y canno t pass th e 65 / 65 he at**rcl cas~.:**  n:quirement of§ 25. 53( a - I) no matter how di l igent th e designe r is. It is not \\'ithin th e g r asp or c urrent tec hn o lo gy to m ake ce rtain natu ral mater ia ls co n fom1 to th ese s t andards and the ow ners of the se airplane s define , in fact d e mand , th e u sc of th ese mate rial s. It s ho uld be und e rstood th at th ese aircraft mu s t be outfitted in a s tyl e not unlik e fine exec uti ve board room s or luxuriou s res id e nc es to sa ti s f y th e ir pri va t e users. OC CU PANT SAFETY C O NS ID ERA TIO NS: 1

4 CFR 25
. 785 (/t){2) Co n sidering th e s ma ll er numb e r of occ up an t s in th e business, private airplane. in thi s c as e 14 % or that of a traditional co mme rcia l config uratio n , and th e familiarit y o f th e flight and ca bin crews with the s p ec i fic airplane , its passengers and it s int e rior arrang e m e nt , and the wording of the ex isting rule that place s th e e mphasi s lor s afety on th e pro xim it y of th e exit to th e attendant over the abi lit y of the attendant to v ie w th e cabin area , th ere s hou ld be no d eg radation in th e p asse ng e r sa fe ty as a res ult of thi s re quested**ex~.: mpti** **n.** l.J CF R 25.8/J(e) The risk for occ upant s due t o th e usc of d oo rs b e t ween passenger compartments s hould b e considered acceptable for th e followin g re a so ns:
• All door s be twee n passenger compar tm e nt s wi ll be frangible.

• There will be n s ig na l t o th e fli g ht c rew wh e n the po cke t d oo r s arc closed for Taxi , Tak co fl and Landin g . T he AFMS 

### f A irplane Fli g ht Manual] wi ll pr ov ide pro ce dure s and limitati o n s t o e n s ure th at th e doors arc in th e proper p os iti o n f o r tak eo f f and land in g .
• The doors be twee n passe nge r co mpartm e nt s will hav e dual me an s to r e tain them in th e o pe n po s ition f o r takc-olfand landin g, e ach of whic h w ill be capabl e of withstanding th e in e rtia l oa d s s pec ifi ed in 14 C FR 25.56 1 ,
• The airplane" ill be ope rated under 1-+ CFR [p)art 125 and" ill be not be o perat ed for hi re or of f ered fo r common carriage. l.J CFR 25
. 7 85(j) The risk for occ up ant s du e t o th e n o n a va ilability of direct hand holds in cert ain ar eas of the ai rp lane should be conside red acceptable f or th e following reasons: 5• Al l furnit ure in th e passen ge r c abin ha s rounded co m e rs a nd e dg es t o avo id serio u s injury in case ofturb ul c ncc .
• T he in s ta l led sca t and di vans arc he avily upho lstered and will no t c ause injuri es w he n co nta cte d ,
• In th e Pl ayi n g A re a . Dinin g Area an d Theater Area occupants ca n use di van arm s[and] sca t back to s teady th emselves in case of turbu le nce fli g ht.

• In th e Exec uti ve Area. sc at back s and tables are read il y within r eac h with one o r tw o s t e p s,
• There will be a recom me nd ati on t o pa sse ngers to rem ai n sea ted with th ei r seat b e lt s fastened in case of tur b ul e nce during flight ,
• Occupant s arc intimatel y famil i ar wi th the interio r arra ngeme nt .
• The ai rpl ane wi ll be o pe rat e d und e r 14 CF R [ p]art 12 5 a nd wi ll not be operated f o r hir e o r off e re d for co mm o n carriage. 14 CF R 25.853(tl) T he vast ma jo rit y of the rul e w as driven by the post-crash fire e xp e ri e nce s in ai rli ne opera ti ons. Th e 65 / 65 heat release regulatio n was specifically developed t o re d uc e th e lik e ! ihood of the fla sh

- over phenome non which was proven by t es ts t o be a p rim e co ntributor t o th e rapid pro p agation of post-crash ca bin in t erio r fi res a nd the g en e rati o n of blinding s mok e. Rapid fire propagation co mbin ed with th e re lat i vely s low rate of pa sse nge r evacua t io n f ro m densel y packe d a ir ca rri e r airp lanes ha s pr ove n to be a dea d l y co mbination during actual airline accident s. S ince it is c lear that mat e ri a l se l ec ti o n is be in g co ntro ll e d by aesth e ti cs in this app l ication , we c ann o t exe rcise an y real co ntrol over th e actual hea t r e le as e but the exposure t im e to thi s hea t re le ase i s s till within th e designer' s con tro l. There f ore. it is pro p osed as a first step in mi ti ga tin g the fir e h azard that an evac uation ana lys is be per fo rm e d t o s h ow th at all sou ls on board c an be s af ely evac ua ted in less than 45 seco nd s. T hi s would be possibl e because of excess eme r ge nc y exi t s for th e a irp lane pa sse nger ca pacity. fli g ht att e ndant s . s mooth evac u at io n ro ut es, an J th e s mal l nu m ber of sca t s in the Exec uti ve Sea tin g, P laying. Dinin g. and Thea te r are as. (27) sca t s t o t

a l. P UBLIC I N TERE ST : As in the cases of numerous alread y established Exempt ions, g ran tin g thi s petition for e xemption would be clearly in the public interes t fo r th e following r easons:• It allow s cf li c ie nt and safe ca rria ge or I lead of State and executives in th e sought for env ironment that would othe rwi se not be possibl e,
• There is no deg radation of safety itwoJ , ·ed with this request and therefore no detrirnl!ntal impa c t to th e public a1 large.

• lncreaseJ**sa ~s**  of these exec uti ve co nfi g ured tr an s p o rt a irplan es will ult imat ely res ult i n some p or ti o n of th ose airplanes being comp leted at US ow n ed o r ope rated aircraft co mpletion fa c i lities, pro vi din g improved financial performance a nd work force s tabilit y fo r those organi:tations as w e ll ,
• Impro ved financial perf o rm ance or US O\\'ncd o r ope rat ed corp o ra tions, and in c rc ase J work f o rce stabil it y tran sla tes into continued and improved tax reve nu e for all go \ ·e mm ental organiza ti on involved.

• I mp r oved linan c ial performan ce allow s US co rporat ion s to co ntinu e to invest in new R & D re sea rc h wh i c h wi ll a ll ow the US to main tain or improvl: it "s co mp e titi ve p osi ti o n in the world economy .
• A large number of these type s of sa les ca n be predicted to be t o ·· o ffshore·· clients. improving the US balance of trade deficit. F e de ral R eg i s t er publi c ati o n A s umm ary of this petition was no t publisheJ in th e Fede ral R egis 1 er . Thi s exe mption d oe s not set a precedent and any dela y in act in g o n thi s petit i on wo uld be de trim e nt a l to Go re Desig n Co mpl etions. Ltd. The FA A's a n a lys i s The FA/\ conside rs that gra nt ing this petition is in th e publi c interest for the reaso n s stated by the petitioner and bec ause th e FAA is directed to t ake into accou nt th e typ e of operation when establishing s tandard s und e r Titl e 49 of the U nit ed States Code (49 U.S.C. 44 70 1 (d))
. As morl: tran s port ca t ego r y airp la n es have**be~n** co nfi g ur ed (o r re-config ur ed) for private use. the FA/\ has given consiJe rable attention to the is s ue or ap propria te regulation or such airplanes. Some of the cu rrent regulations goveming design certification of transport ca t egoty airp lanes arc not compa ti ble with private usc of such airp lanes. Becau se of this. we have rccci,·cd a numb e r of pe titi o n s for exe mpti on from certa in r egu latio n s . We have grant ed suc h exempt ions when we lind th a t to d o so is in th e public i nteres t and docs no t adversely affect the leve l o f safe t y p rovided by the r eg u lation s. We published a no ti ce or proposed rulcm a kin g. o tice o. 07-13. Sj; ecial R elf ll i r e m e nt sfor Primt e Use Transport CategO I J ' Ai rpla n es (72 FR 38732
. Jul y 1 3, 2007). which. if promul ga te d. would obviate th e nec t.l f o r case-by-case review of individual petitions for exem pti on for pri\'ate use airplanes
. 7We arc g ivin g co n s id e rable a ll e nti o n t o th e iss ue of tr ansport ca tegory airplan es ope rat e d for priva te usc. T he re arc severa l regulat ory req u i rement s, in cl udin g so me id entifie d by th e petition e r. th at lend th e m se lves to exe mpt io n when considering the differen ces between co mm ercia l a nd pr ivate u sc opera tion s. We intend to s umm ari ze our v i ews o n th ese re g ulation s anJ pr o po se re v ision s to th e r e quirement s. wh e re appropriat e. T he reg ulati o n s that arc th e s ubj ec t o f thi s p e tition ma y b e in c lud e d in th e proposed revis ion s . Our an al ysis o f this pe titi o n co n s ide red eac h of th e fol lowing des ig n f eatu res p ro p osed b y th e pet i 1 ion cr: I
. F irm l l andholds We have co n sidere d the req uirement for firm handholds in the con text of private usc airplane s and ha ve de te rmin ed that it would be impractical for this 1 )1JC of operat io n and i nt e ri o r configu ra ti o n . 2
. Int erio r Doo rs The plac e ment of int erio r doors is clearly quit e significant to th e ow ner / ope rator of th e airplan e . Th e llexibilit y to panition the airplane into indiv idual ro oms, such as pri, · ate meeting rooms o r bedroom s . i s p a ram ount t o an acceptabl e in terior. The avai l abi lit y of pri va t e meeting r oo ms and bedroom s is esse nti al. The FAA acknowledges the desirabilit y o f th ese f ea tur es from the opera tor's p oi nt o r view. Wh e n the..: rc..:gulation s pc..:rtainin g t o in terior doors were adop t ed. the y did no t consi der ·· rooms . .. The y co n s iJercd tw o possib le t ypes o f int erior doors in a pa sse nge r compartment. The first ty pe is an int erio r door be t ween pa sse nger cornpartments. The seco nd type is an int e ri or door be tween the ex it and th e pa sse n ge r co mpartm e nt. Until rece nt!). o nl y th e fi rst t y pe of door wa s prohibited by§ 25. 813(e). How ever, part 25, a s ame nd ed by Amendment 25- 1 I 6. prohibit s in te rior doors be twe e n th e exi t and the pa sse nger co mp artment. In addit ion, Amendment 12 1-306 prohibits the se doors in a irplan es manufa ct ured after Nove mber 27, 2006, opera t ed under 14 CFR part 121. A me ndm e nt s 25- I 16 a n d 12 I -306, titl e d Miscella n eo us Cahi ll S(ifery Changes . were publish ed in th e Federal R eg isf e r on Octob e r 27, 2004. When" e reviewed the petition for exemption concerning the interior doors we dctcrn1incd that we needed to ad d a li fih category of doors to address the door betwee n the Theater Area and Bedroom /\ rca . We conside r the Bedroom Area a pas senger com partm ent that is only occupied in-nig ht an d s h o uld req uir e thi s doo r t o meet th e fran g ible req uire me nt t o add r ess th e door beco min g ja mm e d in

- n ig ht wi th p eo pl e in th e compartm en t. A lso . we de te rmin ed for evacuation reasons the door s houl d be c losed for taxi. take-off. and la ndin g since the re arc no ex its aft 

# or the doo r . 8In terms**ofair plan** **~s** conligured for ··p ri nlle. not-for-hi r e·· use . the re arc five d i fferen t categories of doors i n the passenger cabi n s. Ca te g or y I. A tk10 r i n a room am1 th e room is less th a n the f ull widt h o f th e <tirp la nc. T h e re w i I I be an a i s le on th e o uts ide of the r oom. T hi s type of room m ay be occupied d ur i n g l<tkc-off a nd la n ding, and on ly the occupants of the room must u se th e doo r to reach an exit. Ca t ego r y 2. A doo r i n a roo m and is th e same as CategOJy 1 exce pt the r e i s a s in gle e m e rge ncy ex it o r pai r of e m e rgency exi ts wi th in th e r oo m . C at ego r y 3
. !\ d oo r o r d o o r s in a co mp artm e nt a n d the c omp ar tm e nt i s the full wid th o f the a i r p la ne . T he r e a r e p as s e n ge r s seated o n b o th s id es of th e do 01 ·(s) a nd th e ma in a i s le leads o ut of o r p asses throu g h th e co mp art m e nt. The co mp artmen t d ocs n o t ha ve a ny e m ergency exi t s. T hi s ty p e of compartment may be occ up ied du r in g take-off a n d landi n g. C at ego r y 4
. J\ door in a roo m and t he room is th e fu ll widt h of the airplane. Pa ssengers a re seated on both s i des of the door, and the re is a p a ir of e m e r gency ex i ts a t o ne end. T h is type of roo m may be occupied during takeoff a n d la nd in g. Ca t ego r y 5. A d oo r in a ro o m th at m ay be th e f u l l w idth o f th e a irp la ne . T hi s type of roo m is n ot occ up ied durin g t ake-o t T and l <t n ding. T hi s roo m i s o nl y occ up ie d du ri n g ni g ht. Passenge r s arc n o t sea ted o n bo th s id es of th e doo r d ur ing t ax i , takc

- o f f , a nd la n d i n g. Passengers sea t e d in taxi, take-o ff. a nd la ndin g se at s mu s t n o t nee d to p ass th ro u g h th is door to get to a n y emergency exi ts. Beca u se n o t all i n t e r ior doors be tween passenger comp anm en ts arc equivale n t. t he FAA has de t em1 ined that the following requi r e m en ts will p roduce a n adeq u ate leve l of safety: I. In o rd er to max im ize th e level o r safe t y, doo r s i n Ca tego ry 2, 3, o r 4 in s ta ll ed ac ross the main cab in ais le mu s t o p e n and c lose in a trnnsve r se direction. Tha t is
. the d i rect ion of motion of the doo r m us t be at a right angle to the longi tu di nal axis of t he airplane. A

· ·pocket door·· i · one example or such a de · ign
. This wi l l tend to m inimize the chance that the inertia forces of an acc ident could Ioree the door closed. 2. Redundant me a ns are necessary to latch doors open for take-off a n d la n ding. Each la t c h i n g m e an s m us t h ave th e capab ilit y of re tai n i n g th e d oor in the ta ke - off a nd la n di n g pos iti o n un de r th e in e rt ia f o rces of§ 25.56 1
. 3. Each interior door must be frangib le , in the event th at i t is jammed in the closed position in flight or during taxi, take-of!. or landing. Frangibi l ity is in tended to ensure that ira door i s jammed closed occupant s can escape in either direct ion and emergency equipment can be moved. Frangibility may be demonstrated in either of the following ways: <)• A 5 111 percen ti lc female ca n break throu gh th e doo r, crea t in g a larg e enough open in g t hat a 95 111 p e rce ntile (or larger) m ale ca n pa ss thr o ug h. (See Advisory Circular 25- I 7
. Transpor1 Airplane Cabin flll e riors Crashii'Orlhiness /l and/wok. paragraph 43b(2)).

• A 5' 11 pe r ce ntile f e mal e ca n break a hin ge on the do o r o r a hing e on a smn llcr door within th e door s u c h that the do or c an sw ing, so as to allow a 95' 11 (or large r) pe rce ntile mal e to pa ss through th e o pe nin g wit h th e door swung ope n . This eva lu ation mu s t be made with any cabin furnishi ng or equ ipment installed that co ul d limit the swi ng arc of the door and placed in th e most adverse posi ti o n. In u s in g this approach. one mu s t co n s id e r the possibility that th e d oo r i s p hys ica ll y jamm e d in the c l osed p os it ion by distortion of th e fuselage o r f umi s hin gs. This pos s ibil ity mus t be cons id e red eve n i f th c door normall y translates int o th e o p e n and c lo sed posit ions. 4. Doo rs ' :v hi ch**1~111** into Ca t egory I mu st be i n the ope n position during taxi. t ake-off
. and landing on l y wh e n th e room is occup ied. 5. Doo rs which fa ll int o Ca tego ri es 2, 3, o r 4 mu s t be in th e open po s ition durin g ta xi. t a ke -off. and landin g, regardl ess of occ upan cy. 6. Doors which fall into Category 5 must be in the closed position during taxi. take-off a nd landin g. With respect to the po ss ibilit y tha t a door will remain c loseo when it shou ld not be, the FAA h as d ete rmin ed th at a higher le ve l of awareness is re quired t o address th is iss ue. Due to th e relative co m plexity of the cabin int e rior. the FAA ha s d cte m1in e d that in s p e ction by ni ght attendants pri o r to tak e-of f and la ndin g is n ot su ffi cie nt t o ve rif y that interior doors arc i n th e prope r p osi tion
. Co n se qu en tl y, so me type of remote indi catio n is co n s id ere d necessary . T h e pe titi o ne r' s proposal to prov id e re mo te indi ca ti o n to th e fli g ht c r ew is co n s id e red adequat e . 3
. Int erior Materials With respect to the nammability of interior materials. the petitioner has accurately summari ; . ed th e req u iremems. T h e petitioner correctly notes th a t th e req uire me nt s are re lated to pro longing the tim e available f or evacuat i o n. When the standards for heat release and s moke emission of interior materials were developed. the FAA incorporated a disc rim inant, based on passenger capacit y . This appro ach was intended t o address sma ll e r airplane s where the ratio of exits to passengers is typically qui t e good a nd the evac uati o n times arc expec te d to be qui te low. U nd e r these co ndition s, th e benefits of improved ma te rial s we re ex p ec ted to be neg li g ibl e. Th e a irplan e t yp e oiscussed in th e p e tition was not envisioned by the rulemakin g, insofar a s the large size with low passenger count is concerned
. The FAA has considered the issue of the evacua ti on capabilit y of the airplane relative to the namrnability ofrhe material s . and fino s that there may be omc rdiefpossiblc. H owever, th e 10issue of nammability is not lin 1ited to post -c rash scenarios, and th e in-night fire threat mu st also be addressed. The FAA note s that th e peti ti o ner has not proposed an alternati,·e heat relea se or smoke emiss ion cri teria, but rather an exemption from the requirement to assess the heat re l ease and smoke emissions of ce rtain materials allogether. Si nce the main benefit of improved interior materials is to lengthen th e time available for evac uati on, an anangcmcnt that effec ti ve ly provides the same <.;vac uati on capab ilit y wo uld sa tisfy many of the concerns addressed by the requirement , albeit indi rectly. The FAA has reviewed the full-scale fire test data u sed to de ve lop the hea t release requirements. and considered accident data relevant to this issue. This re\ · icw is not complete. but it docs suggest that a quanti fiablc improvement in evacuation capabi l i ty could wan-ant a relaxation of the heat release requirement s. It is also the**pet iti** **er·~** co mcn ti o n th at the part icula r cabin config uration(s) and mode of operation of the 737-800 make it likel y that the evacuation capability under actual accident conditions will more closely model the evacuation capability s hown for cert ifi cation demo n stra t ions. The peti t ione r has propo se d that an evacuation analysis be perfonned to show th at al l occu p ant s in clud ing c r ew can be safety evacuated in l ess th a n 45 seco nd s. The FAA ha s determined that a 45 second evacua tion time wo uld provide f or a hi ghe r leve l of safe ty than is pro v id ed on so me ea rli e r ce rtifi cated airplanes , whe re comp li <mce w ith the heat release and smoke emissions requirement s is not require d. There arc precedents for this decision invol ving other private use airplanes. The remai nin g issue of the in-night fire scena rio needs to be addressed as well. The major issue with r es pect to in-flight fires is ti mely recog nition. On some ai rpl anes the interior inc lud es isolated areas that d o not lend thems e lves to timely detection of a fire. For the purposes of this exemption an isolat ed passenger co mpartm ent is defined as a room that docs not contain an eg ress path (e.g. , main cabin aisle, cross aisle or passageway), o r is iso lated by a door. In o rd e r to add ress the in-night case. the FAA be li eves that installing a smoke detector in s uch areas would compensate for the potential for an increased in-ni ght fire threat. T h erefore, eac h isolated passenger co mp a rtm ent mu s t incorporate a fire detection system that meets the req uire me nts of § 25.858. While this section is written for cargo compartment fire de tection systems, the c r iteria contained ther ein arc conside red app ropriate to this application. 4. Direct View The p e titioner has**idcntifi~.:d** the re quire me nt for flight allendant sca t s to be located to provide a direct view or th e passenger cabin as not practical for compliance with the executive type int erior to be u sed on th e 737-800. The complex it y of th e interior ammgcmcnt, cou pl ed wi th the need to re tain proximit y to emergency exits is cited as the primary reason that compl ian ce is**impr ac** **ti c<.~l.**  The FAA has considered the req uirement for direct v iew in th e co ntext of private use aiq)lanes, and agrees that much of th e justification for the requirement is based on air ca rr ier typ e operation s. The practicality o f locating flight attendant seats ncar eme rgency exits so th at there is a direct \'icw of occupants inside ofrooms is questionable. at best. Tn this regard, the FAA docs believe that some relief ma y be appropriate for airplanes intended tor private usc. Howc\'cr. the IIrAA no tes th at the ju s tificati o n for th e n.: quircment for dir ec t v iew is not limit ed to**obs~.: va** **ion** of p asse ngers that arc no t familiar wi th th e interior. F li gh t att e ndant scats s hould be l oca ted so that th ere is a direct , · iew provided for thc cabin area that is practical. For example, flight atten d ant scats shou ld not face away fr om the cab in. I n thos e areas of the airpl;mc where t raditional sea ting arra ngements arc u se d. th e FAA believes th at d irect view s hould be provided. In co n side rin g th e need for direct Yicw. the F ; \ A agrees that th e restricted nature of the operatio n of a p rivate use ai rplan e mitigates much of thc need. That is. the operato r ha s cont rol of and can restrict th e population of pa ssengers, unlike an ai r ca t Tier. The risk of pa ssengers engaging in haLardous or malicious ac t i\ uy is essential!) diminatcd. and the need for di r ect \'iC\\' is li mited to those cases where u pa ssenge r might nccd assis tance. We consider that thi s objccti \ ·e is met by requiring th at a majorit y of night attendants sca ts face the cabi n. We disagree \\' ith the applicant ' s s t a t

ement that " The pas se nger cou nt of the s ubject airplane represe nt s jus t 1-t % of the capacity**allow~d** ftw thi s ai rplane
... The applicant is compari ng the proposed passenger sea t ing capacity or its pri va te use Model 737-800 airplane. which will hav e one pai r of Typ e lll exi t doo r s and th e aft pair of noor l eve l exi ts de ac ti vate d. with a Model 737- 800 aiqJian e tha t has all o f th e e merge ncy ex it s functional. As ex it s a rc deactivated th e nllowable pa sse nge r sea tin g capacity dGcreases. T he app l icant s ho uld co mpar e it s pro p osed pa sse nge r seat in g ca pa c it y with th e maximum a ll owable seat ing capac it y of a Mo de l 737-800 wi th the s am e deactiva ted exits. I n thi s scen ario the maximum passenger seating capacity allowed on a Mod e l 737-800 would be 80
. not 1 89; thercrore. the seati ng capacity of the pri\'atc u sc airplane is 33. % of th a t allowed on a comparable Model 73 7- 00 airpla ne, not 14%. The FA A' dec i s i o n In considerat iOn of the**for~ go** **ing.** I find that a partial grant of exemp ti on is in the p ublic interes t. Therefore, pursuant to the au thority contained in 49 U.S.C. -t O I I 3 and 4 -t 70 I. delegated to me by the Admi ni s t rator. I gran t the petition of Gore Design Comple ti on, Ltd. for**~.:xcmpt on**  from 14 

### CF R 25.785( 11 )(2)
. 25.7R5( j). 25.813(G). a nd 25.853(cl) to the ex t e nt nece ssa ry to a ll ow installation of a n executivr interior on a "pri\'a t c . no t-for-h i re"**Bo~ in** **g Mod~!**  737-800 airplan e, serial number 35792. Specifically. th e exe mption allows relief from th e requir eme nt s for Oight attendant dir ec t view. firm handholds in the pa ssenger compartment, interior doors between passenger compartments, and max i mum heat release Oammabi lity requirement s for l arge interior p a nels. T hi s exe mpti on is s ubj ect to th e fo ll ow in g cond it ions and limitation numb ers 4, 5 a nd 6 must be documented in th e !.imit ati o n s. cc tion of th e A iqJ iane F li g ht Manua l : I. The airplane must not be opGratcd for hire or offered for common carriage. This provi s ion does no t preclude the operator from receiving remuneration t o**th~** extull consistent with 14 

### Cr R part s 125 and 91
. subpan F, as applicable
. 2. A majo ri ty ol' flight attendant scats must be or iented to face the passenger cabin
. 3. Each door between passenger compartments must be frangible.
1 24. Doors that f all int o C at egory I mu s t be in the o p e n position durin g taxi, t ake-off
. and landin g "**h~:n** the room is occupied or when passenge r s mu st pass through the room to re a ch 

### an eme r ge ncy exi t. 5. D oors that fall into Ca tegories 2, 3, o r 4 must be in th e ope n p os iti o n durin g taxi. tak e **on~** and landing, regard le ss of occupa ncy of th e roo m. 6. D oo r s which fall into Ca tegory 5 must b e in th e closed po s ition durin g t axi. t ake-off, a nd landin g. 7. Appropriate proced ures mu s t be es tablished to signal the Oightcrew th at a door betw ee n pa ssenge r compart m e nt s i s closed and to prohibit take-off or landin g when a door between pas se n ge r compartments is n o t in the proper position. 8. D oors between pa sse n ge r compartments must ha ve dual means to retain th em in th e ope n p osi tion, each means mu s t b e c apabl e of wi th s tandin g the inertia loads specified in § 25. 56 1
. 9. When mat erials arc installed that do not comply wi th th e requirem ents o f a pp e ndix 

### r. parts IV and V

. it mu s t be shown that the passengers and crew memb e r s ca n be e\'ac uat c d in 45 s econds or les s, under th e condi ti ons d esc rib ed in part 25, append ix J. I 0. There must be means to signal the Oi g ht c rcw in th e eve nt of a fir e in a ny is o lat e d pas se nge r co mpartment that m ee t the requirem e nt s of§ 25.858(a) through (d)
.

I ss u e d in R e nt on Washing t on, on 

### NOV 2 6 

## ZOOB

A li Bahrami Manager, Tran s p o rt J\iqJ l anc Directorate A irc r a ft Ce rtiti ca ti o n Service

13