08/03/201 0 10:0 0 816329415 7 

# O U.S . Departmen t o f Transportatio n Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n AC E 18 0 PAG E 02/0 6 

# m m Smal l Airplan e Directorat e 90 1 Locust , ACE-10 0 Kansa s City , Missouri 6410 6

AU G 0 2 201 0 Mr . Lelan dSno w Presiden t Ai r Tractor , Inc . P.O . Bo x 48 5 Obey , T X 7637 4 Dea r Mr . Conrad : W e are enclosin g adenial o f exemptio n t o Air

Tracto r Inc. , fromTitl e 1 4 Cod e o f Federal Regulation s (1 4 CFR) , part 23 , § 23.1001 , paragraph s (b) , (c)(2 ) an d(c)(3 ) t o permi t typ e certificatio n o f

th e Ai r Tracto r mode l AT802/802 A -wit

hafue l jettiso n syste mtha t

doe s no t discharg e clear

o f th e aircraft . Pleas e contac t

Mr . Pete r L . Rouse , (816 ) 329-4135 , i f yo u hav e any questions. Sincerely ,

^ U j Ki mSmit h Manager , Smal l Airplan e Directorat e Aircraf t Certificatio n Servic e Enclosur e08/03/201 0 10:0 0 816329415 7 AC E 18 0 PAG E 03/0 6

Exemptio n No . 1011 0

UNITE D STATE S O FAMERICA DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N FEDERA LAVIATIO N ADMINISTRATIO N KANSA S CTTY . MISSOUR I 6410 6

I n th e matte r

o f th e petitio n o f AI RTRACTOR , INC . for exemptio n from § 23.1001(b) , (c)(2 ) an d(c)(3 ) o f

Title 14 , Cod e o f

Federal Regulation s Regulator y Docke t No . FAA-2010-046 8

DENIA LO FEXEMPTIO N B y lette r date dApri l 23,2010 , Mr , Lelan dSnow , President , Ai r Tractor , Inc . (Ai r Tractor) , P.O . Bo x 485 , Olney , TX 7637 4 petitione dth e Federal Aviatio n Administratio n (FAA ) o n behal f

o f Ai r Tracto r for a n exemptio n from § 23.1001 , paragraph s (b) , (c)(2 ) an d(c)(3 ) o f

Title 14 , Cod e o f

Federal Regulation s (1 4 CFR) . Th e propose dexemption , i f granted , woul dpermi t

typ e certificatio n o f

th e Ai r Tracto r mode l AT-802/80 2 A wit ha fuel jettisonin g syste mtha t doe s not discharg e clear

o f th e aircraft . Th e aircraf

t wil l b e use dfor th e specia l purpose s o f

Aeria l Surveyin g an dPatrolling . Th e petitione r

require s relie f

fro mth e followin g regulations : Sectio n 23.1001(b ) prescribes , i n pertinen t part , th e fiiel jettisonin g syste mb e demonstrate dat

maximu mgros s weigh t

withth e flap s up . Sectio n 23.1001 , paragraphs(c)(2 ) an d(c)(3 ) prescribes , i n pertinen t part , th e fuel jettisonin g syste m discharge s fiiel clear

o f th e aircraf

t an dtha t n o fume s o r

fue l ente r th e aircraft .08/03/201 0 10:0 0 816329415 7 AC E 18 0 PAG E 04/0 6

Th e petitione r

state s th e followring i n thei r petitio n fo

r exemption ; "Th e FAR s tha t

w e ar e petitionin g t o modif y for th e above aircraf

t are 23.1001(b ) wher e i t

say s "mus t

b e demonstrate dat

maximu mweight . Ai r Tracto r petition s t o demonstrat e fuel jettiso n at agros s weigh t

o f 13,00 0 lb s o r mor e sinc e th e absenc e o f hopper s remove s spac e t o ad dth e 3,00 0 pound s o f ballas t require dt o brin g th e AT-80 2 tes t aircraf t u p t o it s certificate dweigh t

o f 16,00 0 pounds . Th e FAR s tlia

t w e ar e petitionin g t o delet e are 23.1001(c)(2 ) an d 23.1001(c)(3). " Th e petitione r

i s requestin g t o performth e fiiel jettisonin g testin g at aweigh t othe r tha n specifie di n 23.1001(b) , an dals o delet e 23.1001(c)(2 ) an d23.1001(c)(3 ) fromth e certificatio n basis . Th e petitione r

support s it s reques t

wit hth e followin g information : "Reason s for

th e deletio n o f

thes e 2 FARs : Th e win g angl e o f

incidenc e an dth e highl y cambere dairfoi l caus e th e AT

802/80 2 A t o fly i n atail-hig hposition , whic hprovide s goo dvisibility for th e pilot . Bu t

tail-hig hflight

result s i n alo w pressur e are aunde r th e fuselage . Th e enclose dphot o o f a n AT-80 2 releasin g fire retardan t show s tha t whil e mos t

o f th e retardan t

drop s clea

r o f th e aircraft , ther e are som e wisp s tha t

imping e o n th e af

t part o f th e belly . I t i s possibl e tha t

smal l droplet s of

fuel woul dente r

th e fuselag e throug h th e smal l opening s for

rudde r contro l cable s o r

th e openin g aroundth e fuselag e structur e fo r

corrosio n prevention . Th e cockpit s i n th e AT-802/802 A aircraf t are seale dof

f fromth e res t

o f th e fuselag e bu t

i t i s possibl e for

th e cre w t o detec t

th e smel l o f

fliel i n cas e smal l amount s o f

fuel ente r

th e fiiselage . Fo r environmenta l reason s a s wel l a s conservatio n o f ou r resources , Ai r Tracto r petition s t o us e wate r

withare ddy e instea do f Je t fuel . Th e tes t aircraf t i s painte dgray , s o tha t

th e re ddy e wil l b e visibl e t o trac e th e pat h o f th e wate r durin g jettisoning . Reason s wh y Ai r

Tractor' s petitio n shoul db e granted : 1 . Th e AT-80 2 i s a2-seat restricte dcategory aircraf t withn o passenge r canyin g authority . I f

i s fo r th e special purpose s liste di n FA R21.2 5 t o08/03/201 0 10:0 0 816329415 7 AC E 18 0 PAG E 05/0 6

includ e 21.25(b)(3 ) an d21.25(b)(4) . Fo r thes e purpose s th e aircraf t mus t hav e lon g loite r

tim e fo r borde r patro l o r othe r surveillanc e activities . It s basi c configuratio n canno t b e altere dt o mee t

FAR s for whic hw e are seekin g relief. 2 . Th e fire ris k

fromfuel impingement

o n th e fiaselag e i s negligibl e du e t o ther e bein g mor e tha n te n feet o f distanc e betwee n th e exhaus t stack s an d th e discharg e port

o f th e ftiel jettiso n system . 3 . Th e FA A approve dairplan e flight manua l list s severa l instruction s t o dump th e hoppe r

content s i n th e Emergenc y Procedure s section . I t als o list s dumpin g th e ferr

y fuel i n th e hoppe r

i n th e ditchin g procedures . Thes e AFM page s are enclosed . 4 . Th e hoppe r

jettiso n feature provide s mor e safet y fo r flight ove r mountainou s terrai n wher e suitabl e landin g site s are no t available . A lowere dlandin g spee dresultin g fromjettisonin g th e hoppe r ftiel lower s th e airplan e stal l speed , improvin g th e odd s o f survivin g acrash . 5 . W e believ e tha t

th e fue l jettisonin g requiremen t wer e aime da t

larg e transport airplane s wit han emergenc y landin g requiremen t an dnot for smalle r restricte dcategory airplane s no t carryin g passenger s for

hire . 6 . Th e tran s Atlanti c delivery flight t o oversea s customer s i s mad e mor e saf e becaus e i n cas e o f

engin e failur e ove r

water , th e fuselag e fiiel ca n b e jettisone dan dth e jettiso n valv e close ds o tha t th e tan k ca n b e use dt o creat e mor e buoyanc y an dhel p preven t th e aircraf

t fromsinking. " A sunamar

y o f thi s petitio n was publishe di n th e Federa l Registe r for publi c commen t o n Jun e 9,2010 , (7 5 F R32837) . N o comment s wer e received . Th e FAA' s analysi s i s a s follows : Th e FA A finds tha t

i n accordanc e witl i 1 4 CF R§ 11.81(d) , th e petitione r mus t sho w tha t grantin g th e reques t

woul db e i n th e publi c interest , tha t is , benefi t

th e publi c a s a whole . Als o th e petitione r mus t sho w i n accordanc e with§ 11.81(e) , th e reason s wh y grantin g tli e exemptio n woul dno t adversel y affec t

safety , o r

ho w th e exemptio n woul d provid e aleve l o f

safet y at leas t equal t o tha t

provide db y th e rul e fromwhic hyo u see k th e exemption . Th e FA A ha s carefiill y reviewe dth e informatio n containe di n th e petitioner' s reques t for exemption .08/03/201 0 10:0 0 816329415 7 AC E 18 0 PAG E 06/0 6

Th e FA A disagree s withth e petitioner' s argument .

• Th e exemptio n woul dallo w th e us e o f ajettisonin g syste mthat

spraye d fuel ove r th e outsid e o f

th e airplane , whic hi s contrary t o th e safet y objectiv e o f

th e rule s an dcontrary t o th e state dpurpos e o f improvin g th e odd s o f surviva l i n acrash . I n addition , th e behavio r o f thi s fUe l jettisonin g syste mdoe s not provid e aleve l o f

safet y equa l t o th e rule s from whic hAi r Tracto r Inc . request s exemption , • Th e FA A understand s th e rational e for fiiel jettisonin g i n a

n emergenc y landin g a s provide db y Ai r Tracto r Inc . However , i t

i s no t i n th e publi c interes t t o allo w fue l t o discharg e o n th e aircraf t an dt o allo w fiime s o r

fuel t o ente r th e aircraf

t • Th e applican t

ha s no t provide dinformatio n o n ho w testin g at areduce d weigh t woul db e i n th e publi c interest , ho w i t woul dnot

adversel y affec t safety , o r ho w th e exemptio n provide s aleve l o f safet y equal t o tha t provide db y th e rule . Th e FAA' 8 Decision : In consideratio n o f

th e foregoing , I fin dthat

agran t o f exemptio n woul dnot

b e i n th e publi c interes t

o r maintai n th e leve l o f

safet y require db y th e rul e fromwhic hth e exemptio n i s sought . Therefore , pursuan t t o th e authority containe di n 4 9 U.S.C . § § 4011 3 an d44701 , a s amended , delegate dt o m e b y th e Administrato r (1 4 CF R § 11.91) , th e petitio n o f

Ai r Tractor , Inc . for

an exemptio n from1 4 CFR , part 23 , §§23.1001 , paragraph s (b) , (c)(2 ) an d(c)(3 ) i s hereb y denied . Issue di n Kansa s City , Missouri o n Augus t 2 , 2010 , 

# /fc - 

# ^ . Steve n W . Thompso n Actin g Manager , Smal l Airplan e Directorat e Aircraf t Certificatio n Servic e