18412 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 70 / Thursday, April 12, 2007 / Proposed Rules 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. NM372, Special Conditions No. 

25–07–08–SC] 

Special Conditions: Boeing Model 

787–8 Airplane; Reinforced Flightdeck 

Bulkhead 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed special 

conditions. 

SUMMARY: This notice proposes special 

conditions for the Boeing Model 787–8 

airplane. This airplane will have novel 

or unusual design features when 

compared to the state of technology 

envisioned in the airworthiness 

standards for transport category 

airplanes. The Boeing Model 787–8 

airplanes will have a flightdeck 

bulkhead incorporating ballistic- and 

intrusion-resistant features. While the 

regulations include standards for 

ballistic- and intrusion-resistant 

flightdeck doors, they do not yet 

incorporate the same standards for these 

features in the bulkhead. Therefore, 

special conditions are needed to address 

these design features. These proposed 

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. Additional 

special conditions will be issued for 

other novel or unusual design features 

of the Boeing Model 787–8 airplanes. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before May 29, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Comments on this proposal 

may be mailed in duplicate to: Federal 

Aviation Administration, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, Attention: Rules 

Docket (ANM–113), Docket No. NM372, 

1601 Lind Avenue, SW., Renton, 

Washington 98057–3356; or delivered in 

duplicate to the Transport Airplane 

Directorate at the above address. All 

comments must be marked Docket No. 

NM372. Comments may be inspected in 

the Rules Docket weekdays, except 

Federal holidays, between 7:30 a.m. and 

4 p.m. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff 

Gardlin, FAA, Airframe/Cabin Safety, 

ANM–115, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification 

Service, 1601 Lind Avenue, SW., 

Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone (425) 227–2136; facsimile 

(425) 227–1320. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

The FAA invites interested persons to 

participate in this rulemaking by 

submitting 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 ask that 

you send us two copies of written 

comments. 

We will file in the docket all 

comments we receive as well as a report 

summarizing each substantive public 

contact with FAA personnel concerning 

these proposed special conditions. The 

docket is available for public inspection 

before and after the comment closing 

date. If you wish to review the docket 

in person, go to the address in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice 

between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

We will consider all comments we 

receive on or before the closing date for 

comments. We will consider comments 

filed late if it is possible to do so 

without incurring expense or delay. We 

may change the proposed special 

conditions based on comments we 

receive. 

If you want the FAA to acknowledge 

receipt of your comments on this 

proposal, include with your comments 

a pre-addressed, stamped postcard on 

which the docket number appears. We 

will stamp the date on the postcard and 

mail it back to you. 

Background 

On March 28, 2003, Boeing applied 

for an FAA type certificate for its new 

Boeing Model 787–8 passenger airplane. 

The Boeing Model 787–8 airplane will 

be an all-new, two-engine jet transport 

airplane with a two-aisle cabin. The 

maximum takeoff weight will be 

476,000 pounds, with a maximum 

passenger count of 381 passengers. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, 

Boeing must show that Boeing Model 

787–8 airplanes (hereafter referred to as 

‘‘the 787’’) meet the applicable 

provisions of 14 CFR part 25, as 

amended by Amendments 25–1 through 

25–117, except §§ 25.809(a) and 25.812, 

which will remain at Amendment 25–

115. If the Administrator finds that the 

applicable airworthiness regulations do 

not contain adequate or appropriate 

safety standards for the 787 because of 

a novel or unusual design feature, 

special conditions are prescribed under 

provisions of 14 CFR 21.16. 

In addition to the applicable 

airworthiness regulations and special 

conditions, the 787 must comply with 

the fuel vent and exhaust emission 

requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the 

noise certification requirements of part 

36. In addition, the FAA must issue a 

finding of regulatory adequacy pursuant 

to section 611 of Public Law 92–574, the 

‘‘Noise Control Act of 1972.’’

Special conditions, as defined in 

§ 11.19, are issued in accordance with 

§ 11.38 and become part of the type 

certification basis in accordance with 

§ 21.17(a)(2). 

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 the provisions of § 21.101. 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The 787 will incorporate a number of 

novel or unusual design features. 

Because of rapid improvements in 

airplane technology, the applicable 

airworthiness regulations do not contain 

adequate or appropriate safety standards 

for these design features. These 

proposed special conditions for the 787 

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. 

On January 15, 2002, the FAA 

promulgated 14 CFR 25.795(a) 

(Amendment 25–106), which specifies 

that the flightdeck door of a transport 

airplane be designed to resist forcible 

intrusion by unauthorized persons and 

penetration by small arms fire and 

fragmentation devices. At the time it 

was written, the regulation was limited 

to the flightdeck door to expedite a 

rapid retrofit of the existing airplanes 

required by operating rules to have a 

flightdeck door. 

In addition to a reinforced flightdeck 

door, the 787 will have a flightdeck 

bulkhead which is reinforced to resist 

intrusion and ballistic penetration. The 

regulations do not adequately address 

the certification requirements for such a 

bulkhead, and appropriate certification 

standards are necessary. These proposed 

special conditions would require that 

the reinforced flightdeck bulkhead meet 

the same standards as those specified in 

§ 25.795(a) for flightdeck doors. The 

proposed special conditions contain the 

minimum standards that the 

Administrator considers necessary to 

ensure that safety standards are 


rmajette on PROD1PC67 with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 70 / Thursday, April 12, 2007 / Proposed Rules 18413 

maintained after the aircraft enters into 

service. 

On December 21, 2006, the FAA 

issued a notice of proposed rulemaking 

that proposes amending § 25.795(a) to 

require that a flightdeck bulkhead—and 

any other accessible barrier separating 

the flightcrew compartment from 

occupied areas—also be designed to 

resist intrusion or penetration. The 

methods of compliance described in the 

preamble of that notice and associated 

draft advisory material could be used to 

show compliance to these proposed 

special conditions. 

For the 787, the reinforced bulkhead 

may be comprised of components such 

as the walls of adjacent lavatories, 

galleys, or crew rest areas. Those 

components would be covered by these 

proposed special conditions. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these proposed 

special conditions are applicable to the 

787. Should Boeing apply at a later date 

for a change to the type certificate to 

include another model incorporating the 

same novel or unusual design features, 

these proposed special conditions 

would apply to that model as well 

under the provisions of § 21.101. 

Conclusion 

This action would affect only certain 

novel or unusual design features of the 

787. It is not a rule of general 

applicability, and it would affect only 

the applicant that applied to the FAA 

for approval of these features on the 

airplane. 

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 Proposed Special Conditions 

Accordingly, the Administrator of the 

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

proposes the following special 

conditions as part of the type 

certification basis for the Boeing Model 

787–8 airplane. 

In addition to the requirements of 14 

CFR 25.795(a) governing protection of 

the flightdeck door, the following 

special conditions apply. 

The reinforced bulkhead, including 

components that comprise the 

bulkhead, separating the flightcrew 

compartment from occupied areas must 

be designed to meet the following 

standards: 

It must resist forcible intrusion by 

unauthorized persons and be capable of 

withstanding impacts of 300 Joules 

(221.3 foot-pounds) at critical locations 

on the bulkhead as well as a 1113 

Newton (250 pound) constant tensile 

load on accessible handholds. 

It must resist penetration by small 

arms fire and fragmentation devices to 

a level equivalent to level IIIa of the 

National Institute of Justice Standard 

(NIJ) 0101.04. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 4, 

2007. 

Stephen P. Boyd, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. E7–6887 Filed 4–11–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2007–27611; Directorate 

Identifier 2007–CE–024–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Sierra Hotel 

Aero, Inc. Models Navion (L–17A), 

Navion A (L–17B), (L–17C), Navion B, 

Navion D, Navion E, Navion F, Navion 

G, and Navion H Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for all 

Sierra Hotel Aero, Inc. (formally Navion 

Aircraft LLC) Models Navion (L–17A), 

Navion A (L–17B), (L–17C), Navion B, 

Navion D, Navion E, Navion F, Navion 

G, and Navion H airplanes. This 

proposed AD would require a one-time 

inspection of the entire fuel system and 

repetitive inspections of certain fuel 

selector valves. This proposed AD 

results from reports of airplane 

accidents associated with leaking or 

improperly operating fuel selector 

valves. We are proposing this AD to 

detect and correct fuel system leaks or 

improperly operating fuel selector 

valves, which could result in the 

disruption of fuel flow to the engine. 

This failure could lead to engine power 

loss. 

DATES: We must receive comments on 

this proposed AD by July 11, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Use one of the following 

addresses to comment on this proposed 

AD: 

• DOT Docket Web site: Go to 

http://dms.dot.gov and follow the 

instructions for sending your comments 

electronically. 

• Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 

Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, 

Room PL–401, Washington, DC 20590–

0001. 

• Fax: (202) 493–2251. 

• Hand Delivery: Room PL–401 on 

the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 

400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, 

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

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Sierra Hotel 

Aero, 1690 Aeronca Lane, South St. 

Paul, MN 55075; phone: (651) 306–

1456; fax: (612) 677–3171; Internet: 

http://www.navion.com/ 

servicebulletins.html; e-mail: 

servicebulletinsupport@navion.com. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim 

Smyth, Aerospace Engineer, 2300 East 

Devon Avenue, Room 107, Des Plaines, 

Illinois 60018; telephone: (847) 294–

7132; fax: (847) 294–7834. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments Invited 

We invite you to send any written 

relevant data, views, or arguments 

regarding this proposed AD. Send your 

comments to an address listed under the 

ADDRESSES section. Include the docket 

number, ‘‘FAA–2007–27611; Directorate 

Identifier 2007–CE–024–AD’’ at the 

beginning of your comments. We 

specifically invite comments on the 

overall regulatory, economic, 

environmental, and energy aspects of 

the proposed AD. We will consider all 

comments received by the closing date 

and may amend the proposed AD in 

light of those comments. 

We will post all comments we 

receive, without change, to http:// 

dms.dot.gov, including any personal 

information you provide. We will also 

post a report summarizing each 

substantive verbal contact we receive 

concerning this proposed AD. 

Discussion 

We have received several recent 

reports of Navion series airplanes 

involved in accidents where loss of 

engine power was a contributing factor. 

In some of these accidents, the National 

Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) 

determined that the cause of engine 

power loss was defective fuel selector 

valves or gasolators that allowed air to 

be introduced into the fuel lines and 

disrupt the flow of fuel to the engine. 

This condition, if not corrected, could 

result in engine power loss. 


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