Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 113 / Thursday, June 12, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 33669 

computer equipment, customization of 

hardware or software, training, product 

technical support, maintenance, and end user 

support. For purposes of Government 

procurement, an information technology 

procurement classified under this industry 

category must consist of at least 15% and not 

more than 50% of value added services as 

measured by the total price less the cost of 

information technology hardware, computer 

software, and profit. If the contract consists 

of less than 15% of value added services, 

then it must be classified under a NAICS 

manufacturing industry. If the contract 

consists of more than 50% of value added 

services, then it must be classified under the 

NAICS industry that best describes the 

predominate service of the procurement. To 

qualify as an Information Technology Value 

Added Reseller for purposes of SBA 

assistance, other than for Government 

procurement, a concern must be primarily 

engaged in providing information technology 

equipment and computer software and 

provide value added services which account 

for at least 15% of its receipts but not more 

than 50% of its receipts. 

* * * * * 

■ 3. Amend § 121.301 by revising 

paragraphs (c)(2) introductory text and 

(d), to read as follows: 

§ 121.301 What size standards are 

applicable to financial assistance 

programs? 

* * * * * 

(c) * * * 

(2) Including its affiliates, tangible net 

worth not in excess of $19.5 million, 

and average net income after Federal 

income taxes (excluding any carry-over 

losses) for the preceding two completed 

fiscal years not in excess of $6.5 million. 

If the applicant is not required by law 

to pay Federal income taxes at the 

enterprise level, but is required to pass 

income through to its shareholders, 

partners, beneficiaries, or other 

equitable owners, the applicant’s ‘‘net 

income after Federal income taxes’’ will 

be its net income reduced by an amount 

computed as follows: 

* * * * * 

(d) For Surety Bond Guarantee 

assistance—a business concern, 

combined with its affiliates, must meet 

the size standard for the primary 

industry in which such business 

concern, combined with its affiliates, is 

engaged. 

* * * * * 

■ 4. Amend § 121.302 by revising 

paragraph (c) to read as follows: 

§ 121.302 When does SBA determine the 

size status of the applicant? 

* * * * * 

(c) For disaster loan assistance (other 

than physical disaster loans), size status 

is determined as of the date the disaster 

commenced, as set forth in the Disaster 

Declaration. For pre-disaster mitigation 

loans, size status is determined as of the 

date SBA accepts a complete PreDisaster Mitigation Small Business Loan 

Application for processing. Refer to 

§ 123.408 of this chapter to find out 

what SBA considers to be a complete 

Pre-Disaster Mitigation Small Business 

Loan Application. 

* * * * * 

■ 5. Amend § 121.502 by revising 

paragraph (a)(2) to read as follows: 

§ 121.502 What size standards are 

applicable to programs for sales and leases 

of Government property? 

(a) * * * 

(2) A concern not primarily engaged 

in manufacturing is small for sales or 

leases of Government property if it has 

annual receipts not exceeding $7.5 

million. 

* * * * * 

■ 6. Amend § 121.512 by revising 

paragraph (b) to read as follows: 

§ 121.512 What is the size standard for 

stockpile purchases? 

* * * * * 

(b) Its annual receipts, together with 

its affiliates, do not exceed $62.5 

million. 

Dated: May 21, 2014. 

Maria Contreras-Sweet, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2014–12868 Filed 6–11–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8205–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2014–0248; Special 

Conditions No. 25–553–SC] 

Special Conditions: Gulfstream Model 

GVI Airplanes; Airbag-Equipped 

Shoulder Belt 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Gulfstream Model GVI 

airplane. This airplane, as modified by 

Gulfstream, will have a novel or 

unusual design feature associated with 

airbag-equipped shoulder belts. The 

applicable airworthiness regulations do 

not contain adequate or appropriate 

safety standards for this design feature. 

These special conditions contain the 

additional safety standards that the 

Administrator considers necessary to 

establish a level of safety equivalent to 

that established by the existing 

airworthiness standards. 

DATES: The effective date of these 

special conditions is June 12, 2014. We 

must receive your comments by July 28, 

2014. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2014–0248 

using any of the following methods: 

Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow 

the online instructions for sending your 

comments electronically. 

Mail: Send comments to Docket 

Operations, M–30, U.S. Department of 

Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Room W12–140, West 

Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 

20590–0001. 

Hand Delivery or Courier: Take 

comments to Docket Operations in 

Room W12–140 of the West Building 

Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except federal holidays. 

Fax: Fax comments to Docket 

Operations at 202–493–2251. 

Privacy: The FAA will post all 

comments it receives, without change, 

to http://www.regulations.gov/, 

including any personal information the 

commenter provides. Using the search 

function of the docket Web site, anyone 

can find and read the electronic form of 

all comments received into any FAA 

docket, including the name of the 

individual sending the comment (or 

signing the comment for an association, 

business, labor union, etc.). DOT’s 

complete Privacy Act Statement can be 

found in the Federal Register published 

on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477–19478), 

as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot 

.gov/. 

Docket: Background documents or 

comments received may be read at 

http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. 

Follow the online instructions for 

accessing the docket or go to the Docket 

Operations in Room W12–140 of the 

West Building Ground Floor at 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except federal holidays. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan 

Jacquet, Airframe and Cabin Safety, 

ANM–115, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification 

Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–2676; facsimile 

425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

has determined that notice of, and 

opportunity for prior public comment 

on, these special conditions are 


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33670 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 113 / Thursday, June 12, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

impracticable because these procedures 

would significantly delay issuance of 

the design approval and thus delivery of 

the affected airplane. In addition, the 

substance of these special conditions 

has been subject to the public-comment 

process in several prior instances with 

no substantive comments received. The 

FAA therefore finds that good cause 

exists for making these special 

conditions effective upon publication in 

the Federal Register. 

Comments Invited 

We invite interested people to take 

part in this rulemaking by sending 

written comments, data, or views. The 

most helpful comments reference a 

specific portion of the special 

conditions, explain the reason for any 

recommended change, and include 

supporting data. 

We will consider all comments we 

receive by the closing date for 

comments. We may change these special 

conditions based on the comments we 

receive. 

Background 

On October 23, 2012, Gulfstream 

applied for a supplemental type 

certificate for airbag-equipped shoulder 

belts in the Gulfstream Model GVI 

airplane. The Gulfstream Model GVI is 

a two-engine jet transport airplane with 

an executive cabin interior. The 

maximum takeoff weight is 99,600 

pounds, with a maximum passenger 

capacity of 19. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of § 21.101 

Gulfstream must show that the GVI, as 

changed, continues to meet the 

applicable provisions of the regulations 

incorporated by reference in type 

certificate no. T00015AT or the 

applicable regulations in effect on the 

date of application for the change. The 

regulations incorporated by reference in 

the type certificate are commonly 

referred to as the ‘‘original type 

certification basis.’’ The regulations 

incorporated by reference in T00015AT 

are as follows: 

The certification basis is 14 CFR part 

25, Airworthiness Standards: Transport 

Category Airplanes, effective February 

1, 1965, including Amendments 25–1 

through 25–120 and 25–122, 25–124, 

and 25–132. 

Amendment 25–118 was not 

published and therefore does not apply. 

Optional Design Regulations: 

• The Model GVI has been shown to 

comply with the requirements for 

ditching: § 25.801, 25.563, 25.807(e), 

and 25.1585(a). When the operating 

rules require emergency-ditching 

equipment, compliance with §§ 25.1411 

and 25.1415 must be shown. Gulfstream 

Report GVI–GER–1709, titled ‘‘Design 

Requirements Document for Ditching 

Equipment,’’ provides an acceptable 

means for showing compliance with 

§§ 25.1411 and 25.1415. 

• The Model GVI is approved for 

flight into known icing conditions and 

has demonstrated compliance to 

§ 25.1419. 

Exemption No. 9761, §§ 25.562(a) and 

25.785(b) for side-facing divans also 

applies. 

The certification basis includes 

certain special conditions, exemptions, 

and equivalent-safety findings that are 

not relevant to these proposed special 

conditions. 

If the Administrator finds that the 

applicable airworthiness regulations 

(i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain 

adequate or appropriate safety standards 

for the GVI because of a novel or 

unusual design feature, special 

conditions are prescribed under the 

provisions of § 21.16. 

Special conditions are initially 

applicable to the model for which they 

are issued. Should the applicant apply 

for a supplemental type certificate to 

modify any other model included on the 

same type certificate to incorporate the 

same novel or unusual design feature, 

the special conditions would also apply 

to the other model. 

In addition to the applicable 

airworthiness regulations and special 

conditions, the GVI must comply with 

the fuel-vent and exhaust-emission 

requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the 

noise-certification requirements of 14 

CFR part 36. 

The FAA issues special conditions, as 

defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in accordance 

with § 11.38, and they become part of 

the type-certification basis under 

§ 21.101. 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The Gulfstream model GVI will 

incorporate the following novel or 

unusual design feature: 

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is 

proposing to install inflatable shoulder 

straps on side-facing divans to reduce 

the potential for head injury in the event 

of an accident. The inflatable shoulder 

strap works similarly to an automotive 

airbag except that the airbag is 

integrated with the shoulder strap of the 

restraint system. 

Part 25 states the performance criteria 

for head injury protection in objective 

terms. However, none of these criteria 

are adequate to address the specific 

issues raised concerning seats with 

inflatable shoulder straps. The FAA has 

therefore determined that, in addition to 

the requirements of part 25, special 

conditions are needed to address 

requirements particular to installation of 

seats with inflatable shoulder straps. 

Accordingly, in addition to the 

passenger-injury criteria specified in 

§ 25.785, these special conditions are 

adopted for Gulfstream GVI airplanes 

equipped with inflatable shoulder 

straps. 

Discussion 

From the standpoint of a passengersafety system, the inflatable shoulder 

belt is unique in that it is both an active 

and entirely autonomous device. While 

the automotive industry has good 

experience with airbags, the conditions 

of use and reliance on the inflatable 

shoulder belt as the sole means of injury 

protection are quite different. In 

automobile installations, the airbag is a 

supplemental system and works in 

conjunction with an upper torso 

restraint. In addition, the crash event is 

more definable and of typically shorter 

duration, which can simplify the 

activation logic. The airplane operating 

environment is also quite different from 

automobiles, and includes the potential 

for greater wear and tear and 

unanticipated abuse conditions (due to 

galley loading, passenger baggage, etc.). 

Airplanes also operate where exposure 

to high-intensity electromagnetic fields 

could affect the activation system. 

The inflatable shoulder belt has two 

potential advantages over other means 

of head-impact protection. First, it can 

provide significantly greater protection 

than would be expected with energyabsorbing pads, and second, it can 

provide essentially equivalent 

protection for occupants of all stature. 

These are significant advantages from a 

safety standpoint, because such devices 

will likely provide a level of safety that 

exceeds the minimum standards of the 

federal aviation regulations. Conversely, 

inflatable shoulder belts in general are 

active systems and must be relied upon 

to activate properly when needed, as 

opposed to an energy-absorbing pad or 

upper-torso restraint that is passive and 

always available. Therefore, the 

potential advantages must be balanced 

against this and other potential 

disadvantages in developing standards 

for this design feature. 

The FAA has considered the 

installation of inflatable shoulder belts 

to have two primary safety concerns: 

First, that they perform properly under 

foreseeable operating conditions, and 

second, that they do not perform in a 

manner or at such times as would 

constitute a hazard to the airplane or 

occupants. This latter point has the 

potential to be the more rigorous of the 


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 113 / Thursday, June 12, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 33671 

requirements, owing to the active nature 

of the system. 

The inflatable shoulder belt will rely 

on electronic sensors for signaling, and 

a stored gas canister for inflation. These 

same devices could be susceptible to 

inadvertent activation, causing 

deployment in a potentially unsafe 

manner. The consequence of 

inadvertent deployment, as well as 

failure to deploy, must be considered in 

establishing the reliability of the system. 

Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation must 

substantiate that the effects of an 

inadvertent deployment in flight either 

would not cause injuries to occupants, 

or that such deployment(s) meet the 

requirement of § 25.1309(b). The effect 

of an inadvertent deployment on a 

passenger or crewmember that might be 

positioned close to the inflatable 

shoulder belt should also be considered. 

The person could be either standing or 

sitting. A minimum reliability level 

must be established for this case, 

depending upon the consequences, even 

if the effect on the airplane is negligible. 

The potential for an inadvertent 

deployment could be increased as a 

result of condition in service. The 

installation must take into account wear 

and tear so that the likelihood of an 

inadvertent deployment is not increased 

to an unacceptable level. In this context, 

an appropriate inspection interval and 

self-test capability are considered 

necessary. Other outside influences are 

lightning and high-intensity radiated 

fields (HIRF). Existing HIRF special 

conditions for the model GVI are 

applicable. 

Additionally, the inflatable shoulderbelt installation should be protected 

from the effects of fire, so that an 

additional hazard is not created by, for 

example, a rupture of the pyrotechnic 

squib. 

To be an effective safety system, the 

inflatable shoulder belt must function 

properly and must not introduce any 

additional hazards to occupants as a 

result of its functioning. In several ways, 

the inflatable shoulder belt differs from 

traditional occupant-protection systems 

and requires special conditions to 

ensure adequate performance. 

Because the inflatable shoulder belt is 

essentially a single-use device, this 

potentially could deploy under crash 

conditions that are not sufficiently so 

severe as to require head-injury 

protection from the inflatable shoulder 

belt. Because an actual crash is 

frequently composed of a series of 

impacts before the airplane comes to 

rest, this could render the inflatable 

shoulder belt useless if a larger impact 

follows the initial impact. The situation 

does not exist with energy-absorbing 

pads or upper-torso restraints, which 

tend to provide continuous protection 

regardless of severity or number of 

impacts in a crash event. Therefore, the 

inflatable shoulder-belt installation 

should provide protection, when it is 

required, by not expending its 

protection during a less-severe impact. 

It is also possible to have several large 

impact events during the course of a 

crash, but we will not require the 

inflatable shoulder belt to provide 

protection for multiple impacts. 

Because each occupant’s restraint 

system provides protection for that 

occupant only, the installation must 

address seats that are unoccupied. It 

will be necessary to show that the 

required protection is provided for each 

occupant regardless of the number of 

occupied seats, and considering that 

unoccupied seats may have shoulder 

belts that are active. 

The inflatable shoulder belts should 

be effective for a wide range of 

occupants. The FAA has historically 

considered the range from the 5thpercentile female to the 95th-percentile 

male as the range of occupants that must 

be taken into account. In this case, the 

FAA is proposing consideration of a 

broader range of occupants, due to the 

nature of shoulder-belt installation and 

their close proximity to the occupant. In 

a similar vein, these persons could have 

assumed the brace position for those 

accidents where an impact is 

anticipated. Test data indicate that 

occupants in the brace position do not 

require supplemental protection, so it 

would not be necessary to show that the 

inflatable shoulder belts will enhance 

the brace position. However, the 

inflatable shoulder belts must not 

introduce a hazard in the case of 

deploying into the seated, braced 

occupant. 

Another area of concern is the use of 

seats, so equipped, by children, whether 

lap-held, in approved child safety seats, 

or occupying the seat directly. 

Similarly, if the seat is occupied by a 

pregnant woman, the installation should 

address such usage either by 

demonstrating that it will function 

properly, or by adding appropriate 

limitation on usage. 

Because the inflatable shoulder belt 

will be electrically powered, there is the 

possibility that the system could fail 

due to a separation in the fuselage. And 

because this system is intended as a 

crash/post-crash protection means, 

failure to deploy due to fuselage 

separation is not acceptable. As with 

emergency lighting, the system should 

function properly if such a separation 

occurs at any point in the fuselage. As 

required by § 25.1353(a), operation of 

the existing airplane electrical 

equipment should not adversely impact 

the function of the inflatable lapbelt 

under all foreseeable conditions. 

The inflatable lapbelt is likely to have 

a large volume displacement. Likewise, 

the inflated bag could potentially 

impede egress of passengers. The bag 

deflates to absorb energy, so it is likely 

that an inflatable lapbelt would be 

deflated at the time that persons would 

be trying to leave their seats. 

Nonetheless, we consider it appropriate 

to specify a time interval after which the 

inflatable lapbelt may not impede rapid 

exit (egress) from the airplane. Ten 

seconds has been deemed to be a 

reasonable time, as this corresponds to 

the maximum time allowed for an exit 

to be openable (§ 25.809). 

In actuality, it is unlikely that an exit 

would be prepared this quickly in an 

accident severe enough to warrant 

deployment of the inflatable lapbelt, 

and the inflatable lapbelt will likely 

deflate much sooner than ten seconds. 

This potential impediment to rapid 

egress is even more critical at the seats 

installed in the emergency-exit rows. 

Section 25.813 requires passenger 

access to the exit, from the main aisle, 

in the form of an unobstructed 

passageway, with no interference in 

opening the exit. The restraint system 

must not create an impediment to the 

access to, and the opening of, the exit. 

In some cases, the passenger, rather than 

a flightcrew member, opens an exit such 

as a Type III overwing hatch. These lap 

belts should be evaluated in the exit row 

under existing regulations (§§ 25.809 

and 25.813) and guidance material. The 

inflatable lap belts must also be 

evaluated in post-crash conditions, and 

should be evaluated using 

representative restraint systems in the 

bag-deployed condition. 

This evaluation would include 

reviewing the access to, and opening of, 

the exit, specifically for obstructions in 

the egress path, and any interference in 

opening the exit. Each unique interior 

configuration must be considered. 

If the restraint creates any obstruction 

or interference, it is likely that it could 

impede the rapid egress from the 

airplane. Project-specific guidance is 

likely necessary if these restraint 

systems are installed at exit-door rows. 

Part I of appendix F to part 25 

specifies the flammability requirements 

for interior materials and components. 

Appendix F has no reference to 

inflatable restraint systems because such 

devices did not exist at the time the 

flammability requirements were written. 

The existing requirements are based on 

both material types and use, and have 

been specified in light of the state-ofVerDate Mar<15>2010 14:18 Jun 11, 2014 Jkt 232001 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\12JNR1.SGM 12JNR1

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33672 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 113 / Thursday, June 12, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 

the-art materials available to perform a 

given function. In the absence of a 

specific reference, the default 

requirement would be for the type of 

material used in constructing the 

inflatable restraint, which is a fabric in 

this case. However, in writing special 

conditions, the FAA must also consider 

the use of the material, and whether the 

default requirement is appropriate. In 

this case, the specialized function of the 

inflatable shoulder belt means that 

highly specialized materials are needed. 

The standard normally applied to 

fabrics is a 12-second vertical ignition 

test. However, materials that meet this 

standard do not perform adequately as 

inflatable shoulder belts. Because the 

safety benefit of the inflatable shoulder 

belt is significant, the flammability 

standard appropriate for these devices 

should not screen out suitable materials, 

thereby effectively eliminating use of 

the inflatable shoulder belt based on its 

flammability performance. At this time, 

the 2.5-inch-per-minute horizontal test 

is considered to provide that balance. 

As the technology in materials 

progresses (which is expected), the FAA 

may change this standard in subsequent 

special conditions to account for 

improved materials. 

The following special conditions can 

be characterized as addressing either the 

safety performance of the system or the 

system’s integrity against inadvertent 

activation. Because a crash requiring use 

of the inflatable shoulder belt is a 

relatively rare event, and because the 

consequences of an inadvertent 

activation are potentially quite severe, 

these later requirements are probably 

more rigorous from a design standpoint. 

Note that, although these special 

conditions are applicable to the 

inflatable shoulder belts as installed, 

compliance with these special 

conditions is not an installation 

approval. While these special 

conditions relate to each such system 

installed, the overall installation 

approval is a separate finding and must 

consider the combined effects of all 

such systems installed. 

These special conditions contain the 

additional safety standards that the 

Administrator considers necessary to 

establish a level of safety equivalent to 

that established by the existing 

airworthiness standards. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the 

Gulfstream Model GVI airplane. Should 

Gulfstream apply at a later date for a 

supplemental type certificate to modify 

any other model included on type 

certificate no. T00015AT to incorporate 

the same novel or unusual design 

feature, the special conditions would 

apply to that model as well. 

Conclusion 

This action affects only certain novel 

or unusual design features on one model 

of airplane. It is not a rule of general 

applicability and affects only the 

applicant who applied to the FAA for 

approval of these features on the 

airplane. 

The substance of these special 

conditions has been subjected to the 

notice-and-comment period in several 

prior instances and has been derived 

without substantive change from those 

previously issued. It is unlikely that 

prior public comment would result in a 

significant change from the substance 

contained herein. Therefore, because a 

delay would significantly affect the 

certification of the airplane, which is 

imminent, the FAA has determined that 

prior public notice and comment are 

unnecessary and impracticable, and 

good cause exists for adopting these 

special conditions upon publication in 

the Federal Register. The FAA is 

requesting comments to allow interested 

persons to submit views that may not 

have been submitted in response to the 

prior opportunities for comment 

described above. 

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25 

Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting 

and recordkeeping requirements. 

The authority citation for these 

special conditions is as follows: 

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 

44702, 44704. 

The Special Conditions 

Accordingly, pursuant to the 

authority delegated to me by the 

Administrator, the following special 

conditions are issued as part of the type 

certification basis for Gulfstream Model 

GVI airplanes modified by Gulfstream. 

In addition to the requirements 

specified in exemption no. 9761, the 

following special conditions are 

proposed as part of the type certification 

basis for Gulfstream Model GVI 

airplanes equipped with an airbag 

system in the shoulder belt. 

1. For seats with an airbag system in 

the shoulder belt, show that the airbag 

system in the shoulder belt will deploy 

and provide protection under crash 

conditions where it is necessary to 

prevent serious injury. The means of 

protection must take into consideration 

a range of stature from a 2-year-old child 

to a 95th-percentile male. The airbag 

system in the shoulder belt must 

provide a consistent approach to energy 

absorption throughout that range of 

occupants. When the seat system 

includes an airbag system, that system 

must be included in each of the 

certification tests as it would be 

installed in the airplane. In addition, the 

following situations must be considered, 

wherein the seat occupant is: 

a. Holding an infant 

b. a pregnant woman 

c. a child in a child-restraint device 

d. a child not using a child-restraint 

device 

2. The airbag system in the shoulder 

belt must provide adequate protection 

for each occupant regardless of the 

number of occupants of the seat 

assembly, considering that unoccupied 

seats may have an active airbag system 

in the shoulder belt. 

3. The design must prevent the airbag 

system in the shoulder belt from being 

either incorrectly buckled or incorrectly 

installed, such that the airbag system in 

the shoulder belt would not properly 

deploy. Alternatively, it must be shown 

that such deployment is not hazardous 

to the occupant, and will provide the 

required injury protection. 

4. It must be shown that the airbag 

system in the shoulder belt is not 

susceptible to inadvertent deployment 

as a result of wear and tear, or inertial 

loads resulting from in-flight or ground 

maneuvers (including gusts and hard 

landings), and other operating and 

environmental conditions (vibrations, 

moisture, etc.) likely to occur in service. 

5. Deployment of the airbag system in 

the shoulder belt must not injure the 

seated occupant, including injuries that 

could impede rapid egress. This 

assessment should include an occupant 

whose belt is loosely fastened. 

6. It must be shown that inadvertent 

deployment of the airbag system in the 

shoulder belt, during the most critical 

part of the flight, will either meet the 

requirement of § 25.1309(b) or not cause 

a hazard to the airplane or its occupants. 

7. It must be shown that the airbag 

system in the shoulder belt will not 

impede rapid egress of occupants 10 

seconds after airbag deployment. 

8. The airbag system must be 

protected from lightning and highintensity radiated fields (HIRF). The 

threats to the airplane specified in 

existing regulations regarding lighting, 

§ 25.1316, and HIRF, § 25.1317, are 

incorporated by reference for the 

purpose of measuring lightning and 

HIRF protection. 

9. The airbag system in the shoulder 

belt must function properly after loss of 

normal airplane electrical power, and 

after a transverse separation of the 

fuselage at the most critical location. A 

separation at the location of the airbag 


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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 113 / Thursday, June 12, 2014 / Rules and Regulations 33673 

system in the shoulder belt does not 

have to be considered. 

10. It must be shown that the airbag 

system in the shoulder belt will not 

release hazardous quantities of gas or 

particulate matter into the cabin. 

11. The airbag system in the shoulderbelt installation must be protected from 

the effects of fire such that no hazard to 

occupants will result. 

12. A means must be available for a 

crewmember to verify the integrity of 

the airbag system in the shoulder-belt 

activation system prior to each flight, or 

it must be demonstrated to reliably 

operate between inspection intervals. 

The FAA considers that the loss of the 

airbag-system deployment function 

alone (i.e., independent of the 

conditional event that requires the 

airbag-system deployment) is a majorfailure condition. 

13. The inflatable material may not 

have an average burn rate of greater than 

2.5 inches per minute when tested, 

using the horizontal flammability test 

defined in part 25, appendix F, part I, 

paragraph (b)(5). 

14. The airbag system in the shoulder 

belt, once deployed, must not adversely 

affect the emergency-lighting system 

(i.e., block floor proximity lights to the 

extent that the lights no longer meet 

their intended function). 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on May 12, 

2014. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–13663 Filed 6–11–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0896; Special 

Conditions No. 25–529–SC] 

Special Conditions: Airbus Model 

A350–900 Series, Limit Pilot Force 

Because of Side Stick Controller 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for Airbus Model A350–900 

series airplanes. These airplanes will 

have a novel or unusual design feature 

associated with side stick controllers 

which require limited pilot force 

because they are operated by only one 

hand. The applicable airworthiness 

regulations do not contain adequate or 

appropriate safety standards for this 

design feature. These special conditions 

contain the additional safety standards 

that the Administrator considers 

necessary to establish a level of safety 

equivalent to that established by the 

existing airworthiness standards. 

DATES: Effective July 14, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Todd Martin, FAA, Airframe and Cabin 

Safety Branch, ANM–115, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue 

SW., Renton, Washington, 98057–3356; 

telephone (425) 227–1178; facsimile 

(425) 227–1320. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

On August 25, 2008, Airbus applied 

for a type certificate for their new Model 

A350–900 series airplane. Later, Airbus 

requested and the FAA approved an 

extension to the application for FAA 

type certification to June 28, 2009. The 

Model A350–900 series airplane has a 

conventional layout with twin wingmounted Rolls-Royce Trent XWB 

engines. It features a twin aisle 9-abreast 

economy class layout, and 

accommodates side-by-side placement 

of LD–3 containers in the cargo 

compartment. The basic Model A350– 

900 series configuration will 

accommodate 315 passengers in a 

standard two-class arrangement. The 

design cruise speed is Mach 0.85 with 

a Maximum Take-Off Weight of 602,000 

lbs. 

The Airbus Model A350–900 series 

airplane is equipped with two side stick 

controllers instead of the conventional 

control columns and wheels. This kind 

of controller is designed for only onehand operation. The requirement of 

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations 

(14 CFR) 25.397(c), which defines limit 

pilot forces and torques for conventional 

wheel or stick controls, is not adequate 

for a side stick controller. Special 

conditions are necessary to specify the 

appropriate loading conditions for this 

kind of controller. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under Title 14, Code of Federal 

Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, Airbus must 

show that the Model A350–900 series 

meets the applicable provisions of 14 

CFR part 25, as amended by 

Amendments 25–1 through 25–129. 

If the Administrator finds that the 

applicable airworthiness regulations 

(i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain 

adequate or appropriate safety standards 

for the Model A350–900 series because 

of a novel or unusual design feature, 

special conditions are prescribed under 

§ 21.16. 

Special conditions are initially 

applicable to the model for which they 

are issued. Should the type certificate 

for that model be amended later to 

include any other model that 

incorporates the same or similar novel 

or unusual design feature, the special 

conditions would also apply to the other 

model under § 21.101. 

In addition to the applicable 

airworthiness regulations and special 

conditions, the Model A350–900 series 

must comply with the fuel-vent and 

exhaust-emission requirements of 14 

CFR part 34 and the noise-certification 

requirements of 14 CFR part 36. The 

FAA must issue a finding of regulatory 

adequacy under § 611 of Public Law 92– 

574, the ‘‘Noise Control Act of 1972.’’ 

The FAA issues special conditions, as 

defined in 14 CFR 11.19, under § 11.38, 

and they become part of the typecertification basis under § 21.17(a)(2). 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The Airbus Model A350–900 series 

airplane will incorporate the following 

novel or unusual design feature: a side 

stick controller for only one-hand 

operation by wrist and not by arms. 

Discussion 

Special conditions for Airbus side 

stick controllers have been developed 

and applied during previous Airbus 

certification programs. These special 

conditions are also appropriate for the 

Model A350–900 series side stick 

controller. 

These special conditions contain the 

additional safety standards that the 

Administrator considers necessary to 

establish a level of safety equivalent to 

that established by the existing 

airworthiness standards. 

Discussion of Comments 

Notice of proposed special conditions 

No. 25–13–27–SC for Airbus Model 

A350–900 series airplanes was 

published in the Federal Register on 

December 17, 2013 (78 FR 76248). No 

comments were received, and the 

special conditions are adopted as 

proposed. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions apply to Airbus Model 

A350–900 series airplanes. Should 

Airbus apply later for a change to the 

type certificate to include another 

model incorporating the same novel or 

unusual design feature, the special 

conditions would apply to that model as 

well. 


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