Diane Kearns

- Osterweil 3921 Grey stone Dr. Austin, TX 78731 512

- 799

- 1221 dikearns@aol.com
July 9, 2012 Request to Use CARES for Larger/Older Persons
I am writing to request an exemption from 14 CFR § 121.311(b) to the extent required for Dean Osterweil to be able to use an FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem even though he exceeds the weight limits for the CRS. In addition, if my petition is granted, I request that any air carrier or commercial operator operating under part 121 while Dean Osterweil is a board its aircraft is granted an exemption from 14 CFR § 121.311(b)(2)(iii)(B) to the extent necessary to allow Dean Osterweil to exceed the specified weight limit for an FAA

- approved child restraint sy stem during use of that child restraint sy stem aboard an aircraft. I believe the pertinent section from 14 CFR part 121 from which we seek relief is Section 121.311 Seats, safet y belts, and shoulder harnesses. My son 's phy sical condition is as follows: diagnosis of cerebral pals y and unable to walk, stand , or sit without assistance. He uses a pediatric wheelchair for mobility . Dean is 46” tall and is currentl y weighs 40 pounds. As a result of his physical condition, he needs the support and securit y provided b y an FAA Approved Child Restraint, but becaus e of his height & weight is incapable of compliance with the regulation. I understand that the regulation is written to create a high level of safety for each individual passenger b y ensuring that they are securel y restrained in their seats during all pha ses of flight. The regulation also ensures that an individual does not cause harm to other passengers on the airplane b y being thrown into them during turbulent or emergency conditions. I propose that Dean Osterweil be allowed to occupy an FAA Approved Ch ild Restraint (CARES, manufactured b y AmSafe, Inc.), even though he exceeds the manufacturer’s weight limits. This ensures a high level of safety for Dean Osterweil and a high level of safet y for the other passengers and crew on the airplane. In fact, in D ean's case, safet y is greatly enhanced b y the extra support and security that the FAA Approved Restraint Sy stem will provide during the entire flight. Enhancing safety

for Dean Osterweil is in the public interest. In addition, the public interest is also served b y the fact that the use of this FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem allows him to use commercial air transportation. Without the support and security of the FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem, he would be unable to fl y commerciall y.I also believ e that, with certain limitations established by the FAA in a grant to this petition, there can be an equivalent level of safety to that provided by the affected regulation. The CARES restraint has been certified by the manufacturer for use by children 22

- 44 pounds. However, the components of the CARES restraint are the same as those used in restraints for adults on aircraft and would maintain their integrit y if used b y someone who weighed several hundred pounds. I believe that the limit of 44 pounds was e stablished because, with the additional weight of the child attached to the seatback, the seatback would move forward more quickly in an accident scenario and this might cause a higher HIC load for the person seated in the seat behind the passenger using the CARES restraint (because the seatback moving forward more quickly would mean that it would not be there to attenuate the energy from the impact of the person seated behind the person using the CARES restraint). In order to achieve an equivalent level o f safet y as that provided by the affected regulation, I propose that the FAA establish a limitation in a grant to this petition that Dean Osterweil only sits in a passenger seat with no passenger seated behind her. Therefore, no unsafe condition would exis t for a passenger seated behind Dean Osterweil while he is using the CARES restraint. I also propose that all operations under this exemption be conducted with at least one of Dean’s parents or a caregiver accompanying him or her. In addition, Ipropose th at Dean’s parent or caregiver must carry

a copy of this exemption.
I also request that the processing of this petition not be delayed for publication and comment in the Federal Register. We want to travel July 20, 2012 to July

30, 2012. If you take the t ime to put this in the Federal Register, it will delay the process and we may

not be able to travel in this timeframe. If it is necessary

to put a summary

in the Federal Register, I submit the following: This is a request for an exemption from FAR 121.31 1 (b) to the extent required for a child to use an FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem on an aircraft, even though the child exceeds the height & weight limits for the CRS. Due to phy sical challenges, without the support and securit y of this FAA Approved C hild Restraint Sy stem, this child would be unable to fly . We request that this child be allowed to occup y an FAA Approved Child Restraint (CARES, manufactured b y AmSafe, Inc.), even though he exceeds the manufacturer’s weight limits of 44 pounds. In this c ase, the safet y of this child is greatl y enhanced by the extra support and security that the FAA Approved Restraint S ys tem will provide for him during the flight

. Sincerel y,

Diane Kearns

- Osterweil