Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2013 / Proposed Rules 65233 

Conclusion 

This action affects only certain novel 

or unusual design features on two 

models of airplanes. It is not a rule of 

general applicability. 

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 Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) proposes the 

following special conditions as part of 

the type certification basis for 

Bombardier Inc. Model BD–500–1A10 

and BD–500–1A11 series airplanes. 

1. Fuselage In-Flight Fire Safety and 

Flammability Resistance. Bombardier 

must demonstrate that the fuselage 

would not materially contribute to the 

propagation of an in-flight fire or 

introduce any additional in-flight fire 

risk. 

2. To demonstrate compliance, the 

test set-up and methodology must be 

commensurate with 14 CFR part 25, 

appendix F, part VII, except the size of 

the test samples, modifications to the 

sample holder, and the test 

methodology would be varied as 

described below. 

3. In demonstrating that the 

aluminum-lithium material used to 

fabricate the fuselage has equal or better 

flammability resistance characteristics 

than the aluminum alloy sheet typically 

used as skin material on similar 

airplanes, the accepted test methods for 

compliance include: 

a. Each test sample must consist of a 

flat test specimen. A set of three 

samples of the material must be tested. 

The size of each sample must be 16 

inches by 24 inches by 0.063 inches. 

b. The test samples must be installed 

into a steel sheet subframe with outside 

dimensions of 18 inches by 32 inches. 

The subframe must have an opening cut 

into it of 14.5 inches by 22.5 inches. The 

tests samples must be mounted onto the 

subframe using .250–20 UNC threaded 

bolts. 

c. Test specimens must be 

conditioned at 70 °F ± 5 °F and 55 

percent ± 5 percent humidity for at least 

24 hours before testing. 

4. Demonstration of compliance will 

be achieved if the material is not ignited 

during any of the tests. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

September 12, 2013. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–25663 Filed 10–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0858; Notice No. 

25–13–09–SC] 

Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., 

Models BD–500–1A10 and BD–500– 

1A11 Series Airplanes; Fuselage PostCrash Fire Survivability 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed special 

conditions. 

SUMMARY: This action proposes special 

conditions for the Bombardier Inc. 

Models BD–500–1A10 and BD–500– 

1A11 series airplanes. These airplanes 

will have a novel or unusual design 

feature associated with aluminumlithium fuselage construction that may 

provide different levels of protection 

from post-crash fire threats than similar 

aircraft constructed from traditional 

aluminum structure. The applicable 

airworthiness regulations do not contain 

adequate or appropriate safety standards 

for this design feature. 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. 

DATES: Send your comments on or 

before December 16, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2013–0858 

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: 

Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe and Cabin 

Safety Branch, ANM–115 Transport 

Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue 

SW., Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone 425–227–2195; facsimile 

425–227–1232. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

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 on or before the closing date for 

comments. We may change these special 

conditions based on the comments we 

receive. 

Background 

On December 10, 2009, Bombardier 

Inc. applied for a type certificate for 

their new Models BD–500–1A10 and 

BD–500–1A11 series airplanes (hereafter 

collectively referred to as ‘‘C-series’’). 

The C-series airplanes are swept-wing 

monoplanes with a pressurized cabin. 

They share an identical supplier base 

and significant common design 

elements. The fuselage is an aluminum 

alloy material, blended double-bubble 

design, sized for nominal 5-abreast 

seating. Each airplane’s powerplant 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
65234 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 211 / Thursday, October 31, 2013 / Proposed Rules 

consists of two under wing Pratt and 

Whitney PW1524G ultra-high bypass, 

geared turbofan engines. Flight controls 

are fly-by-wire systems with two 

passive/uncoupled side sticks. Avionics 

include five landscape primary cockpit 

displays. The dimensions of the 

airplanes encompass a wingspan of 115 

feet; a height of 37.75 feet; and a length 

of 114.75 feet for the Model BD–500– 

1A10 and 127 feet for the Model BD– 

500–1A11. Passenger capacity is 

designated as 110 for the Model BD– 

500–1A10 and 125 for the Model BD– 

500–1A11. Maximum takeoff weight is 

131,000 pounds for the Model BD–500– 

1A10 and 144,000 pounds for the Model 

BD–500–1A11. Maximum takeoff thrust 

is 21,000 pounds for the Model BD– 

500–1A10 and 23,300 pounds for the 

Model BD–500–1A11. Range is 3,394 

miles (5,463 kilometers) for both models 

of airplanes. Maximum operating 

altitude is 41,000 feet for both models 

of airplanes. 

The fuselage of the Bombardier Cseries airplanes will be fabricated using 

aluminum-lithium construction. 

Structure fabricated from aluminumlithium may provide different levels of 

protection from post-crash fuel-fed fire 

threats than similar aircraft constructed 

from traditional aluminum structure. 

There are no existing regulations that 

adequately ensure that aluminumlithium structure offers passengers the 

same protection from a post-crash fire 

condition as would a conventional 

aluminum structure. These proposed 

special conditions are necessary to 

ensure that the Bombardier C-series 

airplanes provide a level of safety 

equivalent to that provided by Title 14, 

Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 

part 25. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, 

Bombardier Inc. must show that the Cseries airplanes meet the applicable 

provisions of part 25 as amended by 

Amendments 25–1 through 25–129 

thereto. 

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 C-series airplanes 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 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 C-series airplanes 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, and 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, in accordance 

with § 11.38, and they become part of 

the type-certification basis under 

§ 21.17(a)(2). 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The Bombardier C-series airplanes 

will incorporate the following novel or 

unusual design features: The fuselage 

will be fabricated using aluminumlithium materials instead of 

conventional aluminum. 

The performance of airplanes 

consisting of a conventional aluminum 

fuselage is understood based on service 

history and extensive intermediate and 

large-scale fire testing. The new 

aluminum-lithium materials must 

provide the same levels of protection 

against post-crash fuel-fed fire threats. 

Discussion 

The certification basis for the 

Bombardier C-series airplanes includes 

meeting the burn-through requirements 

defined in § 25.856(b). The Bombardier 

C-series airplanes are introducing a new 

material from what has traditionally 

been shown to be survivable from a 

toxic standpoint. Toxicity levels from 

post-crash fire threats are typically more 

severe than threats generated from an 

in-flight fire with regards to the quantity 

level of toxins produced by off-gases 

from burning materials. Therefore, it is 

necessary to ensure that the material 

being used does not introduce a new 

hazard that would reduce the 

survivability of the passengers during a 

post-crash situation, or provide levels of 

toxic fumes that would be lethal or 

incapacitating, thus preventing 

evacuation of the aircraft in a crash 

scenario. 

Bombardier Inc. will have to 

demonstrate that aluminum-lithium 

material does not produce levels of toxic 

fumes that will reduce the survivability 

of the passengers or their ability to 

evacuate when compared to typically 

constructed aluminum airplanes. 

A way of showing acceptable 

capability is to conduct a laboratoryscale test to assess the survivability 

characteristics of this non-traditional 

fuselage material. If negligible amounts 

of combustion products are produced in 

this test, the material can be considered 

acceptable with respect to post crash 

survivability. A test method developed 

by the FAA’s William J. Hughes 

Technical Center should be utilized 

(Ref. DOT/FAA/AR–TN07/15 dated 

August 2008). 

Related regulations, including 

§§ 25.853 and 25.856(a), remain valid 

for this airplane, but they do not reflect 

the potential threat generated from toxic 

levels of gases produced from 

aluminum-lithium materials. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the Model 

BD–500–1A10 and BD–500–1A11 series 

airplanes. Should Bombardier Inc. apply 

at a later date 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. 

Conclusion 

This action affects only certain novel 

or unusual design features on two 

model series of airplanes. It is not a rule 

of general applicability. 

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 Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) proposes the 

following special conditions as part of 

the type certification basis for 

Bombardier Inc. Model BD–500–1A10 

and BD–500–1A11 (C-series) airplanes. 

The Bombardier C-series airplanes 

must show that any toxic levels of gases 

produced from the aluminum-lithium 

material are in no way an additional 

threat to the passengers and their ability 

to evacuate when compared to a 

typically constructed aluminum 

airplane exposed to a post-crash fuel-fed 

fire. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

September 19, 2013. 

Ross Landes, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–25843 Filed 10–30–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 


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