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

25435

Vol. 65, No. 85

Tuesday, May 2, 2000

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. NM172, Notice No. 25–161–SC]

Special Conditions: Boeing Model 747–

200 (E–4B) Series Airplanes; High

Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF)

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request

for comments.

SUMMARY: These special conditions are

issued for Boeing Model 747–200 (E–4B)

airplanes. These airplanes, modified by

S.I.P. Technical Services, Inc., will have

novel and unusual design features when

compared to the state of technology

envisioned in the airworthiness

standards for transport category

airplanes. The modification

incorporates the installation of a new

Flight Management System (FMS) and

an Electronic Flight Instrumentation

System (EFIS). The applicable

regulations do not contain adequate or

appropriate safety standards for the

protection of these systems from the

effects of high-intensity radiated fields

(HIRF). These special conditions

provide the additional safety standards

that the Administrator considers

necessary to ensure that the critical

functions that this system performs are

maintained when the airplane is

exposed to HIRF.

DATES: The effective date of these

special conditions is April 24, 2000.

Comments must be received on or

before June 16, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Comments on these special

conditions may be mailed in duplicate

to: Federal Aviation Administration,

Transport Airplane Directorate,

Attention: Rules Docket (ANM–114),

Docket No. NM172, 1601 Lind Avenue

SW., Renton, Washington, 98055–4056;

or delivered in duplicate to the

Transport Airplane Directorate at the

above address. Comments must be

marked: Docket No. NM172. Comments

may be inspected in the Rules Docket

weekdays, except Federal holidays,

between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ross

Landes, FAA, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification

Service, Standardization Branch, ANM–

113, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton,

Washington, 98055–4056; telephone

(425) 227–1071; facsimile (425) 227–

1149.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

The FAA has determined that good

cause exists for making these special

conditions effective upon issuance;

however, interested persons are invited

to submit such written data, views, or

arguments, as they may desire.

Communications should identify the

regulatory docket 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. These 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. Persons wishing the FAA to

acknowledge receipt of their comments

submitted in response to these special

conditions must include with those

comments a self-addressed, stamped

postcard on which the following

statement is made: ‘‘Comments to

Docket No. NM172.’’ The postcard will

be date stamped and returned to the

commenter.

Background

On November 10, 1998, S.I.P.

Technical Services, Inc., 10107

McAllister Freeway, San Antonio, Texas

78216–4648, applied for a supplemental

type certificate (STC) to modify Boeing

Model 747–200 (E–4B) airplanes listed

on Type Certificate A20WE. The

modification incorporates the

installation of a new Flight Management

System (FMS) and an Electronic Flight

Instrumentation System (EFIS). The new

FMS consists of three Flight

Management Computers (FMC) and

three Multi-Purpose Control Display

Units (MCDU). The new EFIS consists of

Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display

(AMLCD) Electronic Flight Instrument

(EFI) units with embedded symbol

generators and new control panels. The

installation of these systems may be

vulnerable to high-intensity radiated

fields (HIRF) external to the airplane.

Type Certification Basis

Under the provisions of 14 CFR

21.101, S.I.P. Technical Services, Inc.

must show that Boeing Model 747–200

(E–4B) airplanes, as changed, continue

to meet the applicable provisions of the

regulations incorporated by reference in

Type Certificate No. A20WE, 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 Type

Certificate No. A20WE are as follows:

The certification basis for the

modified Boeing Model 747–200 (E–4B)

airplanes include title 14 Code of

Federal Regulations (14 CFR), part 25,

effective February 1, 1965, as amended

by Amendments 25–1 through 25–8,

plus Amendments 25–15, 25–17, 25–18,

25–20, and 25–39.

In addition to the applicable

airworthiness regulations and special

conditions, the Model 747–200 (E–4B)

must comply with the part 25 fuel vent

and exhaust emission requirements of

14 CFR part 34 and the part 25 noise

certification requirements of 14 CFR

part 36.

If the Administrator finds that the

applicable airworthiness regulations

(i.e., part 25, as amended) do not

contain adequate or appropriate safety

standards for the Boeing Model 747–200

(E–4B) airplanes because of a novel or

unusual design feature, special

conditions are prescribed under the

provisions of § 21.16.

Special conditions, as appropriate, are

issued in accordance with § 11.49, as

required by §§ 11.28 and 11.29(b), and

become part of the type certification

basis in accordance with § 21.101(b)(2).

Special conditions are initially

applicable to the model for which they

are issued. Should S.I.P. Technical

Services, Inc. apply for a supplemental

25436 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 85 / Tuesday, May 2, 2000 / Rules and Regulations

type certificate to modify any other

model included on the same type

certificate to incorporate the same novel

or unusual design features, the special

conditions would also apply to the other

model under the provisions of

§ 21.101(a)(1).

Novel or Unusual Design Features

The modified Boeing Model 747–200

(E–4B) airplanes will incorporate the

following new design features: the

installation of new Flight Management

System (FMS) and Electronic Flight

Instrumentation System (EFIS). The new

FMS consists of three Flight

Management Computers (FMC) and

three Multi-purpose Control Display

Units (MCDU). The new EFIS consists of

Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display

(AMLCD) Electronic Flight Instrument

(EFI) units with embedded symbol

generators and new control panels. The

installation of these systems may be

vulnerable to HIRF external to the

airplane.

Discussion

There is no specific regulation that

addresses protection requirements for

electrical and electronic systems from

HIRF. Increased power levels from

ground-based radio transmitters and the

growing use of sensitive electrical and

electronic systems to command and

control airplanes have made it necessary

to provide adequate protection.

To ensure that a level of safety is

achieved equivalent to that intended by

the regulations incorporated by

reference, special conditions are needed

for the Boeing Model 747–200 (E–4B)

airplanes. These special conditions

require that new electrical and

electronic systems, such as the FMS and

EFIS that perform critical functions, be

designed and installed to preclude

component damage and interruption of

function due to both the direct and

indirect effects of HIRF.

High-Intensity Radiated Fields

With the trend toward increased

power levels from ground-based

transmitters, plus the advent of space

and satellite communications coupled

with electronic command and control of

the airplane, the immunity of critical

digital avionics systems to HIRF must be

established.

It is not possible to precisely define

the HIRF to which the airplane will be

exposed in service. There is also

uncertainty concerning the effectiveness

of airframe shielding for HIRF.

Furthermore, coupling of

electromagnetic energy to cockpitinstalled equipment through the cockpit

window apertures is undefined. Based

on surveys and analysis of existing HIRF

emitters, an adequate level of protection

exists when compliance with the HIRF

protection special condition is shown

with either paragraph 1 OR 2 below:

1. A minimum threat of 100 volts per

meter root-mean-square (rms) electric

field strength from 10 KHz to 18 GHz.

a. The threat must be applied to the

system elements and their associated

wiring harnesses without the benefit of

airframe shielding.

b. Demonstration of this level of

protection is established through system

tests and analysis.

2. A threat external to the airframe of

the following field strengths for the

frequency ranges indicated. Both peak

and average field strength components

from the table are to be demonstrated.

Frequency

Field strength (volts

per meter)

Peak Average

10 kHz–100 kHz ....... 50 50

100 kHz–500 kHz ..... 50 50

500 kHz–2 MHz ........ 50 50

2 MHz–30 MHz ......... 100 100

30 MHz–70 MHz ....... 50 50

70 MHz–100 MHz ..... 50 50

100 MHz–200 MHz ... 100 100

200 MHz–400 MHz ... 100 100

400 MHz–700 MHz ... 700 50

700 MHz–1 GHz ....... 700 100

1 GHz–2 GHz ........... 2000 200

2 GHz–4 GHz ........... 3000 200

4 GHz–6 GHz ........... 3000 200

6 GHz–8 GHz ........... 1000 200

8 GHz–12 GHz ......... 3000 300

12 GHz–18 GHz ....... 2000 200

18 GHz–40 GHz ....... 600 200

The field strengths are expressed in terms

of peak of the root-mean-square (rms) over

the complete modulation period.

The threat levels identified above are

the result of an FAA review of existing

studies on the subject of HIRF, in light

of the ongoing work of the

Electromagnetic Effects Harmonization

Working Group of the Aviation

Rulemaking Advisory Committee.

Applicability

As discussed above, these special

conditions are applicable to the Boeing

Model 747–200 (E–4B) airplanes

modified by S.I.P. Technical Services,

Inc. Should S.I.P. Technical Services,

Inc. apply at a later date for a

supplemental type certificate to modify

any other model included on the same

type certificate to incorporate the same

novel or unusual design features, these

special conditions would apply to that

model as well under the provisions of

§ 21.101(a)(1).

Conclusion

This action affects only certain novel

or unusual design features on Boeing

Model 747–200 (E–4B) airplanes

modified by S.I.P. Technical Services,

Inc. 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.

The substance of the special

conditions for this airplane has been

subjected to the notice and comment

procedure 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

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 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 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 Boeing Model

747–200 (E–4B) airplanes modified by

S.I.P. Technical Services, Inc.

1. Protection from Unwanted Effects

of High-Intensity Radiated Fields

(HIRF). Each electrical and electronic

system that performs critical functions

must be designed and installed to

ensure that the operation and

operational capability of these systems

to perform critical functions are not

adversely affected when the airplane is

exposed to high intensity radiated

fields.

2. For the purpose of these special

conditions, the following definition

applies: Critical Functions. Functions

whose failure would contribute to or

cause a failure condition that would

prevent the continued safe flight and

landing of the airplane.

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 85 / Tuesday, May 2, 2000 / Rules and Regulations 25437

Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 24,

2000.

Vi L. Lipski,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–10912 Filed 5–1–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 39

[Docket No. 2000–NM–01–AD; Amendment

39–11710; AD 2000–09–02]

RIN 2120–AA64

Airworthiness Directives; McDonnell

Douglas Model DC–8 Series Airplanes

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Final rule.

SUMMARY: This amendment adopts a

new airworthiness directive (AD),

applicable to certain McDonnell

Douglas Model DC–8 series airplanes

that have been converted from a

passenger to a cargo-carrying

(‘‘freighter’’) configuration, that requires

a revision to the Airplane Flight Manual

Supplement to ensure that the main

deck cargo door is closed, latched, and

locked; an inspection of the door wire

bundle; and repair or replacement of

discrepant parts. This amendment also

requires, among other actions,

modification of the hydraulic and

indication systems of the main deck

cargo door, and installation of a means

to prevent pressurization to an unsafe

level if the main deck cargo door is not

closed, latched, and locked. This

amendment is prompted by the FAA’s

determination that certain main deck

cargo door systems do not provide an

adequate level of safety, and that the

means to prevent pressurization to an

unsafe level if the main deck cargo door

is not closed, latched, and locked is

inadequate. The actions specified by

this AD are intended to prevent opening

of the cargo door while the airplane is

in flight, and consequent rapid

decompression of the airplane including

possible loss of flight control or severe

structural damage.

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Information pertaining to

this amendment may be examined at the

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),

Transport Airplane Directorate, Rules

Docket, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW.,

Renton, Washington; or at the FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate, Los

Angeles Aircraft Certification Office,

3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood,

California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michael E. O’Neil, Aerospace Engineer,

Airframe Branch, ANM–120L, FAA,

Transport Airplane Directorate, Los

Angeles Aircraft Certification Office,

3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood,

California 90712–4137; telephone (562)

627–5320; fax (562) 627–5210.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A

proposal to amend part 39 of the Federal

Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 39) to

include an airworthiness directive (AD)

that is applicable to certain McDonnell

Douglas Model DC–8 series airplanes

was published in the Federal Register

on February 16, 2000 (65 FR 7796). That

action proposed to require a revision to

the Airplane Flight Manual Supplement

to ensure that the main deck cargo door

is closed, latched, and locked; an

inspection of the door wire bundle; and

repair or replacement of discrepant

parts. That action also proposed to

require, among other actions,

modification of the hydraulic and

indication systems of the main deck

cargo door, and installation of a means

to prevent pressurization to an unsafe

level if the main deck cargo door is not

closed, latched, and locked.

Comments

Interested persons have been afforded

an opportunity to participate in the

making of this amendment. No

comments were submitted in response

to the proposal or the FAA’s

determination of the cost to the public.

The FAA has determined that air safety

and the public interest require the

adoption of the rule as proposed.

Cost Impact

There are approximately 6 Model DC–

8 series airplanes of the affected design

in the worldwide fleet. The FAA

estimates that 6 airplanes of U.S.

registry will be affected by this AD.

It will take approximately 1 work

hour per airplane to accomplish the

general visual inspections, at an average

labor rate of $60 per work hour. Based

on these figures, the cost impact of the

general visual inspections required by

this AD on U.S. operators is estimated

to be $360, or $60 per airplane, per

inspection cycle.

It will take approximately 1 work

hour per airplane to accomplish the

AFMS revision and installation of

associated placards, at an average labor

rate of $60 per work hour. Based on

these figures, the cost impact of the

AFM revision and installation of

associated placards required by this AD

on U.S. operators is estimated to be

$360, or $60 per airplane.

The FAA estimates that it will take

approximately 210 work hours per

airplane to accomplish the modification

required by paragraph (c) of this AD, at

an average labor rate of $60 per work

hour. The FAA also estimates that

required parts will cost approximately

$45,000 per airplane. Based on these

figures, the cost impact of this

modification required by this AD on

U.S. operators is estimated to be

$345,600, or $57,600 per airplane.

The cost impact figures discussed

above are based on assumptions that no

operator has yet accomplished any of

the requirements of this AD action, and

that no operator would accomplish

those actions in the future if this AD

were not adopted.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations adopted herein will

not have a substantial direct effect on

the States, on the relationship between

the national Government and the States,

or on the distribution of power and

responsibilities among the various

levels of government. Therefore, it is

determined that this final rule does not

have federalism implications under

Executive Order 13132.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this action (1) is not a

‘‘significant regulatory action’’ under

Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a

‘‘significant rule’’ under DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44

FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and (3)

will not have a significant economic

impact, positive or negative, on a

substantial number of small entities

under the criteria of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act. A final evaluation has

been prepared for this action and it is

contained in the Rules Docket. A copy

of it may be obtained from the Rules

Docket at the location provided under

the caption ADDRESSES.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

Adoption of the Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration amends part 39 of the

Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR

part 39) as follows:

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS

DIRECTIVES

1. The authority citation for part 39

continues to read as follows:

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