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[Federal Register: August 27, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 166)]
[Notices]               
[Page 52807-52809]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr27au10-113]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

 
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee; Transport Airplane and 
Engine Issues--New Task

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of new task assignment for the Aviation Rulemaking 
Advisory Committee (ARAC).

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SUMMARY: The FAA assigned the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee a 
new task to review and submit recommendations in response to the 
Federal Aviation Administration's approach to update, reorganize and 
improve the level of safety of requirements for flammability of 
materials. This notice is to inform the public of this ARAC activity.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Gardlin, Airframe/Cabin Safety 
Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, Washington 98057, 
telephone (425) 227-2194, facsimile (425) 227-1149; e-mail 
jeff.gardlin@faa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The FAA established the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee to 
provide advice and recommendations to the FAA Administrator on the 
FAA's rulemaking activities with respect to aviation-related issues. 
This includes obtaining advice and recommendations on flammability 
requirements for interior materials on transport category airplanes. 
The committee will address the task under ARAC's Transport Airplane and 
Engine Issues and has established a new Materials Flammability Working 
Group to support this task.
    The flammability requirements for interior materials on transport 
category airplanes have evolved significantly over the years, and have 
become more

[[Page 52808]]

threat-based. That is, a realistic test method based on the type of 
fire hazard most critical for the components in question. Historically, 
these requirements were based on a mix of threat, usage (e.g., 
sidewall), and material type (e.g., elastomeric materials). This has 
led to multiple requirements applying to the same component; 
conflicting requirements for the same component depending on what 
material it is made from; and ambiguous requirements for components not 
explicitly listed in Sec.  25.853 or Appendix F, part I. This last 
aspect results in the requirements of Sec.  25.853 or Appendix F, part 
I, being obsolete whenever materials change or incomplete because 
components that have been developed since the regulation and Appendix F 
were issued are not specifically identified.
    The FAA has drafted an approach that would simplify compliance 
demonstrations, and upgrade the level of safety for flammability 
throughout the airplane. The objective of the proposed approach is to 
completely revisit the flammability requirements and take advantage of 
the wealth of data available from FAA research and advances in material 
fire safety to provide a simpler regulation that provides a higher 
level of safety for transport category airplanes.
    This initiative originated in response to a request by aviation 
industry organizations who participate in the International Aircraft 
Materials Fire Test Working Group. The working group is sponsored by 
the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center and is not affiliated with 
the ARAC.
    The proposed approach would clearly delineate threat-based 
requirements, primarily based on a component's function and location in 
the airplane. Appendix F to part 25 could be organized based on these 
threats, and the current part I, in particular, could be greatly 
simplified. In addition, this approach could include new requirements 
pertaining to inaccessible areas of the airplane, where in-flight fire 
is the greatest risk, by expanding the requirements to include air 
ducts and electrical wiring systems, as well as other high volume 
materials. This could include Sec.  25.855 for materials in cargo 
compartments. The approach would also generalize the requirements for 
heat release and smoke emissions to include all exposed large surface 
areas in the passenger cabin. This would eliminate the need for special 
conditions that are currently required for seats with non-traditional, 
large, non-metallic panels.
    Because this task could result in a significant change to the type 
certification requirements, the FAA is very interested in obtaining 
international harmonization. Therefore, the FAA specifically invites 
the participation of other regulatory authorities in developing the 
responses to the below task.

The Task

    The ARAC is asked to consider the merits of the FAA's proposed 
approach for a threat-based structure for part 25, Appendix F, and make 
recommendations for improvement, classification of the various parts of 
Appendix F, and advisory material necessary for implementation.
    FAA will provide ARAC with the proposed approach. The ARAC working 
group is expected to produce a report within 18 months from publication 
of the tasking statement in the Federal Register. The report should 
address the following questions for the proposed approach, including 
the rationale for the responses.
    1. Is the proposed threat-based approach for Sec.  25.853 and 
Appendix F, parts II through VII organized correctly?
    2. Is Appendix F, part I, necessary for items covered in parts II 
through VII?
    3. Are there regions of the airplane not currently covered by 
flammability requirements that should be?
    4. Can the flammability requirements be further simplified while 
maintaining or improving the existing level of safety?
    5. How should non-metallic structure (e.g., airframe and seats) be 
addressed?
    6. What advisory material is needed to implement the new structure?
    Schedule: Required Completion date is 18 months after the FAA 
publishes the task in the Federal Register.

ARAC Acceptance of Task

    ARAC accepted the task and assigned the task to the newly formed 
Materials Flammability Working Group, Transport Airplane and Engine 
Issues. The working group serves as staff to ARAC and assists in the 
analysis of assigned tasks. ARAC must review and approve the working 
group's recommendations. If ARAC accepts the working group's 
recommendations, it will forward them to the FAA.

Working Group Activity

    The Materials Flammability Working Group must comply with the 
procedures adopted by ARAC. As part of the procedures, the working 
group must:
    1. Recommend a work plan for completion of the task, including the 
rationale supporting such a plan for consideration at the next meeting 
of the ARAC on Transport Airplane and Engine Issues held following 
publication of this notice.
    2. Give a detailed conceptual presentation of the proposed 
recommendations prior to proceeding with the work stated in item 3 
below.
    3. Draft the appropriate documents and required analyses and/or any 
other related materials or documents.
    4. Provide a status report at each meeting of the ARAC held to 
consider Transport Airplane and Engine Issues.

Participation in the Working Group

    The Materials Flammability Working Group will be composed of 
technical experts having an interest in the assigned task. A working 
group member need not be a member, or a representative of a member, of 
the full committee.
    If you have expertise in the subject matter and wish to become a 
member of the working group, write to the person listed under the 
caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT expressing that desire. 
Describe your interest in the task and state the expertise you would 
bring to the working group. We must receive all requests by September 
16, 2010. The assistant chair and the assistant executive director will 
review the requests and advise you whether or not your request is 
approved.
    If you are chosen for membership on the working group, you must 
represent your aviation community segment and actively participate in 
the working group by attending all meetings, and providing written 
comments when requested to do so. You must devote the resources 
necessary to support the working group in meeting any assigned 
deadlines. You must keep your management chain and those you represent 
advised of working group activities and decisions to ensure that the 
proposed technical solutions don't conflict with your sponsoring 
organization's position when the subject being considered is presented 
to ARAC for approval. Once the working group has begun deliberations, 
members will not be added or substituted without the approval of the 
assistant chair, the assistant executive director and the working group 
chair.
    The Secretary of Transportation determined that the formation and 
use of the ARAC is necessary and in the public interest in connection 
with the performance of duties imposed on the FAA by law.
    Meetings of the ARAC are open to the public. Meetings of the 
Materials Flammability Working Group will not be open to the public, 
except to the extent individuals with an interest and expertise are 
selected to participate. The FAA will make no public

[[Page 52809]]

announcement of working group meetings.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 23, 2010.
Pamela Hamilton-Powell,
Executive Director, Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
[FR Doc. 2010-21333 Filed 8-26-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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