This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains regulatory documents having general

applicability and legal effect, most of which

are keyed to and codified in the Code of

Federal Regulations, which is published under

50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.

The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by

the Superintendent of Documents. Prices of

new books are listed in the first FEDERAL

REGISTER issue of each week.

Rules and Regulations Federal Register

16907 

Vol. 77, No. 57 

Friday, March 23, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 23 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0315; Special 

Conditions No. 23–257–SC] 

Special Conditions: Embraer S.A., 

Model EMB 505; Inflatable Side-Facing 

Seat Three-Point Restraint Safety Belt 

With an Integrated Airbag Device in the 

Side-Facing Divan Aft Position 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the installation of an 

inflatable three-point restraint safety 

belt with an integrated airbag device at 

the aft position in two-place side-facing 

divan seats on the Embraer S.A. aircraft 

model EMB–505. These airplanes, as 

modified by the installation of these 

inflatable safety belts, will have novel 

and unusual design features associated 

with the upper-torso restraint portions 

of the three-point safety belts, which 

contain an integrated airbag device. 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 March 16, 2012. 

Comments must be received on or 

before April 23, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2012–0315 

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 

8 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://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: Mr. 

Bob Stegeman, Federal Aviation 

Administration, Aircraft Certification 

Service, Small Airplane Directorate, 

ACE–111, 901 Locust, Kansas City, 

Missouri, 816–329–4140, fax 816–329– 

4090, email Robert.Stegeman@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

Interested persons are invited to 

submit such written data, views, or 

arguments, as they may desire. 

Communications should identify the 

regulatory docket or special condition 

number and be submitted in duplicate 

to the address specified above. All 

communications received on or before 

the closing date for comments will be 

considered by the Administrator. The 

special conditions may be changed in 

light of the comments received. All 

comments received will be available in 

the Rules Docket for examination by 

interested persons, both before and after 

the closing date for comments. A report 

summarizing each substantive public 

contact with FAA personnel concerning 

this rulemaking will be filed in the 

docket. Commenters wishing the FAA to 

acknowledge receipt of their comments 

submitted in response to this notice 

must include a self-addressed, stamped 

postcard on which the following 

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to 

Docket No. FAA–2012–0315.’’ The 

postcard will be date stamped and 

returned to the commenter. 

Background 

On December 13, 2010, Embraer S.A. 

applied for a Design Change 

Application, for the installation of a 

two-place side-facing divan on aircraft 

model EMB–505. Embraer S.A. applied 

for, and was granted, Exemption No. 

10321 to § 23.562 for the two-place 

divan due to its unique installation and 

safety requirements for the occupants. 

The exemption included additional 

testing requirements. Embraer opted to 

use a three-point safety belt restraint 

system for the aft occupant seat to meet 

the exemption safety requirements. 

The inflatable restraint systems are 

three-point safety belt restraint systems 

consisting of a lap belt and shoulder 

harness with an inflatable airbag 

attached to the shoulder harness belt. 

The inflatable portion of the restraint 

system will rely on sensors to 

electronically activate the inflator for 

deployment. 

If an emergency landing occurs, the 

airbag will inflate, limit forward 

translation and prevent contact with the 

forward occupant or other interior 

structure due to flailing. This will 

reduce the potential for head and torso 

injury and protect the forward occupant 

as well. The inflatable restraint behaves 

in a manner similar to an automotive 

airbag; however, in this case, the airbag 

is integrated into the shoulder belt. 

While airbags and inflatable restraints 

are standard in the automotive industry, 

the use of an inflatable restraint system 

is novel for general aviation operations. 

The FAA has determined that this 

project will be accomplished on the 

basis of providing the same current level 

of safety as the conventional 


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16908 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

certification basis airplane occupant 

restraint systems. The FAA has two 

primary safety concerns with the 

installation of airbags or inflatable 

restraints: 

• That they perform properly under 

foreseeable operating conditions; and 

• That they do not perform in a 

manner or at such times as to impede 

the pilot’s ability to maintain control of 

the airplane or constitute a hazard to the 

airplane or occupants. 

The latter point has the potential to be 

the more rigorous of the requirements. 

An unexpected deployment while 

conducting the takeoff or landing phases 

of flight may result in an unsafe 

condition. The unexpected deployment 

may either startle the pilot or generate 

a force sufficient to cause a sudden 

movement of the control yoke. Either 

action could result in a loss of control 

of the airplane, the consequences of 

which are magnified due to the low 

operating altitudes during these phases 

of flight. This concern is of lesser 

consequence in this application because 

it is not installed in a cockpit position. 

The FAA has considered this when 

establishing these special conditions. 

The inflatable restraint system relies 

on sensors to electronically activate the 

inflator for deployment. These sensors 

could be susceptible to inadvertent 

activation, causing deployment in a 

potentially unsafe manner. The 

consequences of an inadvertent 

deployment must be considered in 

establishing the reliability of the system. 

Embraer S.A. must show that the effects 

of an inadvertent deployment in flight 

are not a hazard to the airplane or that 

an inadvertent deployment is extremely 

improbable. In addition, general 

aviation aircraft are susceptible to a 

large amount of cumulative wear and 

tear on a restraint system. The potential 

for inadvertent deployment may 

increase as a result of this cumulative 

damage. Therefore, the impact of wear 

and tear on inadvertent deployment 

must be considered. The effect of this 

cumulative damage means a life limit 

must be established for the appropriate 

system components in the restraint 

system design. 

There are additional factors to be 

considered to minimize the chances of 

inadvertent deployment. General 

aviation airplanes are exposed to a 

unique operating environment. The 

effect of this environment on 

inadvertent deployment must be 

understood. Therefore, qualification 

testing of the firing hardware/software 

must consider the following: 

• The airplane vibration levels 

appropriate for a general aviation 

airplane; and 

• The inertial loads that result from 

typical flight or ground maneuvers, 

including gusts and hard landings. 

Any tendency for the firing mechanism 

to activate as a result of these loads or 

acceleration levels is unacceptable. 

Other influences on inadvertent 

deployment include high intensity 

electromagnetic fields (HIRF) and 

lightning. Since the sensors that trigger 

deployment are electronic, they must be 

protected from the effects of these 

threats. To comply with HIRF and 

lightning requirements, the AmSafe, 

Inc., inflatable restraint system is 

considered a critical system, since its 

inadvertent deployment could have a 

hazardous effect on the airplane. 

Given the level of safety of the 

occupant restraints currently installed, 

the inflatable restraint system must 

show that it will offer an equivalent 

level of protection for an emergency 

landing. If an inadvertent deployment 

occurs, the restraint must still be at least 

as strong as a Technical Standard Order 

approved belt and shoulder harnesses. 

There is no requirement for the 

inflatable portion of the restraint to offer 

protection during multiple impacts, 

where more than one impact would 

require protection. 

The inflatable restraint system must 

deploy and provide protection for each 

occupant under an emergency landing 

condition. The side-facing seats of 

EMB–505 model airplanes are 

certificated to the structural 

requirements of § 23.562 and Exemption 

10321; therefore, the test emergency 

landing pulses identified must be used 

to satisfy this requirement. 

A wide range of occupants may use 

the inflatable restraint; therefore, the 

protection offered by this restraint 

should be effective for occupants that 

range from the fifth percentile female to 

the ninety-fifth percentile male. Energy 

absorption must be performed in a 

consistent manner for this occupant 

range. 

In support of this operational 

capability, there must be a means to 

verify the integrity of this system before 

each flight. Embraer S.A. may establish 

inspection intervals where they have 

demonstrated the system to be reliable 

between these intervals. 

An inflatable restraint may be 

‘‘armed’’ even though no occupant is 

using the seat. While there will be 

means to verify the integrity of the 

system before flight, it is also prudent to 

require unoccupied seats with active 

restraints not constitute a hazard to any 

occupant. This will protect any 

individual performing maintenance 

inside the cockpit while the aircraft is 

on the ground. The restraint must also 

provide suitable visual warnings that 

would alert rescue personnel to the 

presence of an inflatable restraint 

system. 

In addition, the design must prevent 

the inflatable seatbelt from being 

incorrectly buckled and/or installed 

such that the airbag would not properly 

deploy. Embraer S.A., may show that 

such deployment is not hazardous to the 

occupant and will still provide the 

required protection. 

The cabins of the Embraer S.A. model 

airplane identified in these special 

conditions are confined areas, and the 

FAA is concerned that noxious gasses 

may accumulate if the airbag deploys. 

When deployment occurs, either by 

design or inadvertently, there must not 

be a release of hazardous quantities of 

gas or particulate matter into the 

cockpit. 

An inflatable restraint should not 

increase the risk already associated with 

fire. Therefore, the inflatable restraint 

should be protected from the effects of 

fire to avoid creating an additional 

hazard by, for example, a rupture of the 

inflator. 

Finally, the airbag is likely to have a 

large volume displacement, and 

possibly impede the egress of an 

occupant. Since the bag deflates to 

absorb energy, it is likely that the 

inflatable restraint would be deflated at 

the time an occupant would attempt 

egress. However, it is appropriate to 

specify a time interval after which the 

inflatable restraint may not impede 

rapid egress. Ten seconds has been 

chosen as reasonable time. This time 

limit will offer a level of protection 

throughout the impact event. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of § 21.101, 

Embraer S.A. must show that the EMB– 

505 model airplane continues to meet 

the applicable provisions of the 

applicable regulations in effect on the 

date of application for the type 

certificate. The regulations incorporated 

by reference in the type certificate are 

commonly referred to as the ‘‘original 

type certification basis.’’ The following 

model is covered by this special 

condition: 

Embraer S.A. Model EMB–505 

For the model listed above, the 

certification basis also includes all 

exemptions, if any; equivalent level of 

safety findings, if any; and special 

conditions not relevant to the special 

conditions adopted by this rulemaking 

action. 

If the Administrator determines that 

the applicable airworthiness regulations 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 16909 

(i.e., part 23 as amended) do not contain 

adequate or appropriate safety standards 

for the AmSafe, Inc., inflatable restraint 

as installed on this Embraer S.A. model 

because of a novel or unusual design 

feature, special conditions are 

prescribed under the provisions of 

§ 21.16. 

Special conditions, as appropriate, as 

defined in § 11.19, are issued in 

accordance with § 11.38, and become 

part of the type certification basis in 

accordance with § 21.101. 

Special conditions are initially 

applicable to the models 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 that model under the provisions of 

§ 21.101. 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The Embraer S.A. EMB–505 model 

airplane will incorporate the following 

novel or unusual design feature: 

A three-point safety belt restraint 

system incorporating an inflatable 

airbag at the aft position in the twoplace side-facing divan. 

The purpose of the airbag is to reduce 

the potential for injury in the event of 

an accident. In a severe impact, an 

airbag will deploy from the shoulder 

harness, in a manner similar to an 

automotive airbag. The airbag will 

deploy between the head of the 

occupant and airplane interior structure 

and forward adjacent occupant, which 

will provide some protection to the 

head of the occupant and significantly 

limit forward flailing of the upper torso 

and head. The restraint will rely on 

sensors to electronically activate the 

inflator for deployment. 

The Code of Federal Regulations 

states performance criteria for seats and 

restraints in an objective manner. 

However, none of these criteria are 

adequate to address the specific issues 

raised concerning inflatable restraints. 

Therefore, the FAA has determined that, 

in addition to the requirements of part 

21 and part 23, special conditions are 

needed to address the installation of this 

inflatable restraint. 

Accordingly, these special conditions 

are adopted for the Embraer S.A. EMB– 

505 model airplane equipped with 

three-point inflatable restraints. Other 

conditions may be developed, as 

needed, based on further FAA review 

and discussions with the manufacturer 

and civil aviation authorities. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the Embraer 

S.A. EMB–505 model airplane equipped 

with the three-point inflatable restraint 

systems. 

Conclusion 

This action affects only certain novel 

or unusual design features on the 

previously identified Embraer S.A. 

airplane model. It is not a rule of general 

applicability, and it affects only the 

applicant who applied to the FAA for 

approval of these features on the 

airplane. 

Under standard practice, the effective 

date of final special conditions would 

be 30 days after the date of publication 

in the Federal Register; however, 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. For this reason, and 

because a delay would significantly 

affect the delivery of the airplane(s), the 

FAA has determined that prior public 

notice and comment are unnecessary 

and impracticable, and good cause 

exists for adopting these special 

conditions upon issuance. 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 23 

Aircraft, Aviation safety, Signs and 

symbols. 

Citation 

The authority citation for these 

special conditions is as follows: 

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

44701; 14 CFR 21.16 and 21.101; and 14 CFR 

11.38 and 11.19. 

The Special Conditions 

The FAA has determined that this 

project will be accomplished on the 

basis of not lowering the current level 

of safety of the Embraer S.A. EMB–505 

model airplane occupant restraint 

systems. 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 this model. 

Embraer S.A., Model EMB 505; 

Inflatable Side-Facing Seat Three-Point 

Restraint Safety Belt with an Integrated 

Airbag Device in the Side-Facing Divan 

Aft Position of the Embraer S.A. EMB– 

505 model airplanes. 

In addition to the provisions of 14 

CFR 23.562 and 23.785, the minimum 

acceptable standards for certification of 

multiple place side-facing divans 

equipped with an airbag system in the 

shoulder harnesses are as follows: 

1. It must be shown that the inflatable 

restraint will deploy and provide 

protection under the dynamic test 

conditions specified in Title 14 CFR 

23.562. It is not necessary to account for 

floor warpage, as required by 

§ 23.562(b)(3) or vertical dynamic loads, 

as required by § 23.562(b)(1). The means 

of protection must take into 

consideration a range of stature from a 

5th percentile female to a 95th 

percentile male. The inflatable restraint 

must provide a consistent approach to 

energy absorption throughout that 

range. 

2. The inflatable restraint must 

provide adequate protection for each 

occupant. In addition, unoccupied seats 

that have an active restraint must not 

constitute a hazard to any occupant. 

3. The design must prevent the 

inflatable restraint from being 

incorrectly buckled and/or incorrectly 

installed such that the airbag would not 

properly deploy. Alternatively, it must 

be shown that such deployment is not 

hazardous to the occupant and will 

provide the required protection. 

4. It must be shown that the inflatable 

restraint system is not susceptible to 

inadvertent deployment as a result of 

wear and tear or the inertial loads 

resulting from in-flight or ground 

maneuvers (including gusts and hard 

landings) that are likely to be 

experienced in service. 

5. It must be extremely improbable for 

an inadvertent deployment of the 

restraint system to occur, or an 

inadvertent deployment must not 

impede the pilot’s ability to maintain 

control of the airplane or cause an 

unsafe condition (or hazard to the 

airplane). In addition, a deployed 

inflatable restraint must be at least as 

strong as a Technical Standard Order 

(C114) certificated belt and shoulder 

harness. 

6. It must be shown that deployment 

of the inflatable restraint system is not 

hazardous to the occupant or result in 

injuries that could impede rapid egress. 

This assessment should include 

occupants whose restraint is loosely 

fastened. 

7. It must be shown that an 

inadvertent deployment that could 

cause injury to a sitting person is 

improbable. In addition, the restraint 

must also provide suitable visual 

warnings that would alert rescue 


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16910 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 57 / Friday, March 23, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

personnel to the presence of an 

inflatable restraint system. 

8. It must be shown that the inflatable 

restraint will not impede rapid egress of 

the occupants 10 seconds after its 

deployment. 

9. The system must be protected from 

lightning and HIRF. The threats 

specified in existing regulations 

regarding lighting and HIRF, are 

incorporated by reference for the 

purpose of measuring lightning and 

HIRF protection. Also, for purposes of 

complying with these requirements, the 

airbag system is considered a critical 

system at pilot/co-pilot positions only. 

10. It must be shown that the 

inflatable restraints will not release 

hazardous quantities of gas or 

particulate matter into the cabin. 

11. The inflatable restraint system 

installation must be protected from the 

effects of fire such that no hazard to 

occupants will result. 

12. There must be a means to verify 

the integrity of the inflatable restraint 

activation system before each flight or it 

must be demonstrated to reliably 

operate between inspection intervals. 

13. A life limit must be established for 

appropriate system components. 

14. Qualification testing of the 

internal firing mechanism must be 

performed at vibration levels 

appropriate for a general aviation 

airplane. 

Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 

16, 2012. 

James E. Jackson, 

Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6956 Filed 3–22–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0311; Special 

Conditions No. 25–458–SC] 

Special Conditions: Boeing Model 787 

Series Airplanes; Single-place Sidefacing Seats With Inflatable Lapbelts 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special conditions; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Boeing Model 787 series 

airplanes. These airplanes have a novel 

or unusual design feature associated 

with single-place side-facing seats with 

inflatable lapbelts. 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 March 12, 2012. 

We must receive your comments by 

April 23, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2012–0311 

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 

8 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: Jeff 

Gardlin, FAA, Airframe and Cabin 

Safety Branch, ANM–115, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue 

SW., Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–2136; facsimile 

425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

has determined that notice of, and 

opportunity for prior public comment 

on, these special conditions are 

impracticable because these procedures 

would significantly delay delivery of the 

affected aircraft. 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 issuance. 

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 March 28, 2003, Boeing 

Commercial Airplanes applied for an 

FAA type certificate for its new Model 

787 series airplane (hereafter referred to 

as ‘‘787’’). The 787 is an all-new, twinengine jet transport airplane with a twoaisle cabin which is currently approved 

under Type Certificate No. T000215E. 

The maximum takeoff weight is 476,000 

pounds, with a maximum passenger 

count of 381. These airplanes have a 

novel or unusual design feature 

associated with single-place side-facing 

seats with inflatable lapbelts. The 

inflatable lapbelt is designed to limit 

occupant forward excursion in the event 

of an accident. This will reduce the 

potential for head injury, thereby 

reducing the Head Injury Criteria (HIC) 

measurement. The inflatable lapbelt 

behaves similarly to an automotive 

airbag, but in this case the airbag is 

integrated into the lapbelt, and inflates 

away from the seated occupant. While 

airbags are now standard in the 

automotive industry, the use of an 

inflatable lapbelt is novel for 

commercial aviation. 

Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations 

(14 CFR) 121.311(j) requires that no 

person may operate a transport category 

airplane type certificated after January 

1, 1958, and manufactured on or after 

October 27, 2009, in passenger-carrying 

operations, after October 27, 2009, 

unless all passenger and flight attendant 

side-facing seats on an airplane operated 

under part 121 rules meet the 


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