UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RENTON, WASHINGTON 98057-3356

In the matter ofthe petition of Exemption No. 11350

Cessna Aircraft Company Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2015-0157 for a partial exemption from§ 25.809(a) ofTitle 14, Code ofFederal Regulations

PARTIAL GRANT OF EXEMPTION By letter dated January 21,2015, Mr. Brian Richardet, Airworthiness Manager, CessnaAircraft Company, One CessnaBoulevard, Wichita, Kansas, 67277-7704, petitioned the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a partial exemption from the requirements of§ 25.809(a) ofTitle 14, Code ofFederal Regulations (14 CFR). This partial exemption, ifgranted, would permitrelief from the requirement for a means to permit viewing ofthe likely areas ofevacuee ground contact prior to opening the overwing exits on Cessna Model 680A airplanes. The petitioner requests partial relieffrom the following regulation: Section 25.809(a) at Amendment 25-116- Each emergency exit, including each flightcrew emergency exit, must be a moveable door or hatch in the external walls ofthe fuselage, allowing an unobstructed opening to the outside. In addition, each emergency exit must have means to permit viewing ofthe conditions outside the exit when the exit is closed. The viewing means may be on or adjacent to the exit provided no obstructions exist between the exit and the viewing means. Means must also be provided to permit viewing ofthe likely areas ofevacuee ground contact. The likely areas ofevacuee ground contact must be viewable during all lighting conditions with the landing gear extended as well as in all conditions oflanding gear collapse.
The petitioner supports its request with the following information: This section quotes the relevant information from the petitioner's request, with minor edits for clarity. The complete petition is available at the Department ofTransportation's Federal Docket Management System, on the Internet at http://regulations.gov, in Docket No. FAA-2015-0157.Background The CessnaModel 680A is an executivejetwith a maximum ofnine passengers and two crew. The overwing exit is a Type III exit. Itis located onthe right hand side ofthe aircraft in the lavatory. The overwing exit has a window that provides a means to permit viewing ofthe conditions outside the exit when the exit is closed. This allows for viewing ofthe conditions outside the exit when the exit is closed. However, from the location ofthe overwing exit it is notpossible to view the ground contact. Extent ofReliefSought Partial reliefis requested for 14 CFR 25.809(a). Reliefis requested from the requirement for a means to permit viewing ofthe likely areas ofevacuee ground contact prior to opening the overwing exit. The nature ofthis petition for partial exemption is similar to the previously granted Exemption 10756 for the Learjet Model LJ200 and Exemption 10757 for the Embraer Model EMB-550. Public Interest Cessna Aircraft Company competes in the global market. This aircraft is a needed expansion to the Cessna line ofexecutivejetsto compete in this market. The production ofthis aircraft will provide much neededjobs in today's environment. The added interface required to place the right hand exit in an area where ground contact would be viewed would require extra weight to interface with the main cabin environment. This would adversely affect the customers with added cost ofoperation. Affect on Safety In order to provide an exit that would view the ground contact, the exit would need to be moved forward in the cabin. This would mean that the exit would either be located on the very leading edge ofthe wing or offofthe wing. Forthe best safety ofthe passengers, the current location ofthe exit in the lavatory is the best location. The current design allows the passengers visibility ofthe area outside the overwing exitto assess the immediate danger. Once out ofthe aircraft, on the wing, the passenger can view in all directions, assessing the bestroute to leave the wing. Thus,the granting ofthis exemption would not adversely affect safety ofegress. Federal Register publication The FAA has determined that good cause exists for waiving the requirement for Federal Register publication for public comment because the request is identical in all material respects to previously granted exemptions; the exemption, ifgranted, would not set a precedent; and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to CessnaAircraft Company.

2The FAA's analysis The FAA has reviewed the informationprovided by Cessna Aircraft Company and has concluded that granting this exemption is in the public interest for the reasons discussed below. The FAA has determined no adverse impact on safety ifan occupant cannot simultaneously see conditions immediately outside the exitdoor and the ground-contact pointunder all lighting and landinggear conditions. The impact ofthe regulation, as codified, went beyond what was envisioned in the rulemaking process for the overwing exits on some airplanes. OverwingExits: Onmany overwing exits, the location where the evacuee makes first contact on the ground is a considerable distance from the point from which they exit the passenger cabin. The distance the evacuee moves either forward or aft on the upper wing surface, and then downto the ground either by escape slide, orbyjumping offthe wing, or sliding down the leading or trailing edge of the wing, makes it impossible to see the ground contact point from inside the airplane because of the distance or the wing itselfblocking the view. Some commenters to the notice ofproposed rulemaking (Notice No. 96-9) made this point, and the FAA response was: Withrespect to the potential for the exit to be somewhatremote from the point where the evacuees would contactthe ground, the FAA agrees that this may be the case. The intent ofthe requirement is to enable a person to ascertain whetherto open an exit, and whether it is safe to evacuate throughthe exit, based on an assessment ofthe outside conditions

. To the extent that the means used for determination ofthe former does not also allow an assessment ofthe ground, the FAA agrees that an additional viewing means may be necessary, and that the additional means may be somewhat remote from the exit. We have therefore reworded the amendment to allow for the dual purpose ofthe viewing means, and to distinguish the required locations ofthe two

. Our intent in this rule was that it is not necessary for aperson to be able to viewthe ground contactpoint while in position to open an overwing exit. The rule itselfrefers to the groundcontact view separately from the view ofconditions outside the exit, butthe intent ofthe rule was not clearly expressed in the rule language. The FAA worked with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to improve the rule language based on our experience applying this rule. EASA incorporated the improved language in their certification specifications (CS) at amendment 25112, dated July 13, 2012. CS 25

.809(a)(3) states:
For non-over-wing passenger emergency exits, a means must also be provided to permit viewing ofthe likely areas ofevacuee ground contact when the exit is closed with the landing gears extended or in any condition ofcollapse. Furthermore, the likely areas of evacuee ground contact must be viewable with the exit closed during all ambient lighting conditions when all landing gears are extended.
The FAA is consideringrulemaking to harmonize this requirement withEASA.

3The proposed configurationprovides a level ofsafety consistent with the intent ofthe rule. The window does allow for outside viewing to assess the outside conditions prior to openingthe exit. The evacuee canthen open the exit and step out onto the wing and move along the wing to assess the conditions where they would make first contact with the ground. Atthat point, ifthe conditions were not acceptable, evacuees would search for another location from which to exit offofthe wing. To enforce literal compliance that is more stringent than our original intent for the rule would result in an unnecessary burden onthe petitioner. 

### The FAA's decision In consideration ofthe foregoing, I find that a partial grant ofexemption is in the public interest. Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 40113 and 44701 delegated to me by the Administrator, I grant CessnaAircraft Company a partial exemption from 14 CFR 25.809(a). The exemption is granted to the extentnecessary to allow Cessna Aircraft Companyto partially comply with the outside-viewing requirements for the overwing exits. Specifically, the partial exemption allows viewing the first point ofcontact with the ground after the exit has been opened and the evacuee is on the upper surface ofthe wing on Cessna Aircraft Company Model 680A airplanes. Cessna Aircraft Company must demonstrate compliance with all otherrequirements of 14 CFR 25

.809(a) at Amendment 25-116 for this airplane.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

### APR 14 2015



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Michael Kaszycki Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate Aircraft Certification Service

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