1618 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 2012 / Rules and Regulations 

used, there must be a landing gear 

position indicator easily visible to the 

pilot or to the appropriate crew 

members (as well as necessary devices 

to actuate the indicator) to indicate 

without ambiguity that the retractable 

units and their associated doors are 

secured in the extended (or retracted) 

position. The means must be designed 

as follows: 

* * * * * 

(5) The system used to generate the 

aural warning must be designed to 

minimize false or inappropriate alerts. 

* * * * * 

(7) A flightcrew alert must be 

provided whenever the landing gear 

position is not consistent with the 

landing gear selector lever position. 

(f) Protection of equipment on landing 

gear and in wheel wells. Equipment that 

is essential to the safe operation of the 

airplane and that is located on the 

landing gear and in wheel wells must be 

protected from the damaging effects of— 

(1) A bursting tire; 

* * * * * 

(3) Possible wheel brake temperatures. 

■ 3. Amend § 25.773 by revising 

paragraph (b)(2) and adding paragraphs 

(b)(3) and (4) to read as follows: 

§ 25.773 Pilot compartment view. 

* * * * * 

(b) * * * 

(2) No single failure of the systems 

used to provide the view required by 

paragraph (b)(1) of this section must 

cause the loss of that view by both pilots 

in the specified precipitation 

conditions. 

(3) The first pilot must have a window 

that— 

(i) Is openable under the conditions 

prescribed in paragraph (b)(1) of this 

section when the cabin is not 

pressurized; 

(ii) Provides the view specified in 

paragraph (b)(1) of this section; and 

(iii) Provides sufficient protection 

from the elements against impairment of 

the pilot’s vision. 

(4) The openable window specified in 

paragraph (b)(3) of this section need not 

be provided if it is shown that an area 

of the transparent surface will remain 

clear sufficient for at least one pilot to 

land the airplane safely in the event of— 

(i) Any system failure or combination 

of failures which is not extremely 

improbable, in accordance with 

§ 25.1309, under the precipitation 

conditions specified in paragraph (b)(1) 

of this section. 

(ii) An encounter with severe hail, 

birds, or insects. 

* * * * * 

Issued in Washington, DC, on December 

27, 2011. 

Michael P. Huerta, 

Acting Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2012–360 Filed 1–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0009; Special 

Conditions No. 25–454–SC] 

Special Conditions: The Boeing 

Company, Model 767–300; 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 767–300 

series airplanes. These airplanes will 

have a novel or unusual design feature 

associated with 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 January 5, 2012. 

We must receive your comments by 

February 27, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2012–0009 

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: John 

Shelden, FAA, Airframe and Cabin 

Safety Branch, ANM–115, Transport 

Airplane Directorate, Aircraft 

Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue 

SW., Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone (425) 227–2785; facsimile 

(425) 227–1320. 

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 issuance of 

the design approval and thus 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 April 19, 2011, The Boeing 

Company (hereafter referred to as 

‘‘Boeing’’) applied for a change to Type 

Certificate No. A1NM for the 

installation of inflatable lapbelts on 


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Boeing Model 767–300 series airplanes. 

The Model 767–300 is a transport 

category airplane powered by two turbofan engines with a maximum passenger 

capacity of 290 and a maximum takeoff 

weight of 351,600 pounds. These special 

conditions are to allow installation of 

inflatable lapbelts for head injury 

protection on certain seats in the 767– 

300 series airplanes similar to Special 

Conditions No. 25–187A–SC for Boeing 

Model 777 series airplanes and Special 

Conditions No. 25–386–SC for Boeing 

Model 737 series airplanes. 

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 

inflatable airbag, but in this case the 

airbag is integrated into the lapbelt and 

inflates away from the seated occupant. 

While inflatable 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 all 

passenger and flight attendant seats in 

transport category airplanes meet the 

requirements of § 25.562 in effect on or 

after June 16, 1988, if they were type 

certificated after January 1, 1958, 

manufactured on or after October 27, 

2009, and operated under part 121 rules 

in passenger-carrying operations. 

Boeing is required to show 

compliance with certain aspects of 

§ 25.562 as specified per Type 

Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) A1NM for 

the Model 767–300 (hereafter referred to 

as ‘‘767–300’’) series airplanes. 

However, 767–300 series airplanes 

manufactured on or after October 27, 

2009, operated under part 121, must 

meet all of the requirements of § 25.562 

for passenger and flight attendant seats. 

Thus, it is in the interest of installers to 

show full compliance to § 25.562, so 

that an operator under part 121 may be 

able to use the aircraft without having 

to do additional certification work. It is 

also noted that some foreign civil 

airworthiness authorities have invoked 

these same operator requirements in the 

form of airworthiness directives. 

Section 25.785 requires that 

occupants be protected from head injury 

by either the elimination of any 

injurious object within the striking 

radius of the head, or by padding. 

Traditionally, this has required a set 

back of 35 inches from any bulkhead or 

other rigid interior feature or, where not 

practical, specified types of padding. 

The relative effectiveness of these 

means of injury protection was not 

quantified. With the adoption of 

Amendment 25–64 to 14 CFR part 25, 

specifically § 25.562, a new standard 

that quantifies required head injury 

protection was created. 

Section 25.562 specifies that each seat 

type design approved for crew or 

passenger occupancy during takeoff and 

landing must be shown to be compliant 

by successful completion of dynamic 

tests or by rational analysis based on 

dynamic tests of a similar type seat. In 

particular, the regulations require that 

persons not suffer serious head injury 

under the conditions specified in the 

tests, and that protection must be 

provided, or the seat be designed, so 

that the head impact does not exceed a 

HIC of 1000 units. While the test 

conditions described for HIC are 

detailed and specific, it is the intent of 

the requirement that an adequate level 

of head injury protection be provided 

for passengers in a severe crash. 

Because §§ 25.562 and 25.785 and 

associated guidance do not adequately 

address seats with inflatable lapbelts, 

the FAA recognizes that appropriate 

pass/fail criteria need to be developed 

that do fully address the safety concerns 

specific to occupants of these seats. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of § 21.101, 

Boeing must show that the 767–300, as 

changed, continues to meet the 

applicable provisions of the regulations 

incorporated by reference in Type 

Certificate No. A1NM 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. A1NM are as follows: 

part 25 of the Federal Aviation 

Regulations as amended by 

Amendments 25–1 through 25–37, 

except where superseded. The U.S. type 

certification basis for the 767–300 is 

established in accordance with 14 CFR 

21.29 and 21.17 and the type 

certification application date. The U.S. 

type certification basis is listed in TCDS 

No. A1NM. 

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 Boeing Model 767–300 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 novel or unusual 

design feature, or should any other 

model already included on the same 

type certificate be modified 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 767–300 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 767–300 will incorporate the 

following novel or unusual design 

features: Boeing is proposing to install 

an inflatable lapbelt on certain seats of 

the 767–300 series airplanes in order to 

reduce the potential for head injury in 

the event of an accident. The inflatable 

lapbelt works similarly to an automotive 

airbag, except that the airbag is 

integrated with the lapbelt of the 

restraint system. 

The CFR 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 lapbelts. The FAA has 

therefore determined that, in addition to 

the requirements of 14 CFR part 25, 

special conditions are needed to address 

requirements particular to installation of 

seats with inflatable lapbelts. 

Accordingly, in addition to the 

passenger injury criteria specified in 

§ 25.785, these special conditions are 

proposed for the Boeing Model 767–300 

series airplanes equipped with 

inflatable lapbelts. Other conditions 

may be developed, as needed, based on 

further FAA review and discussions 

with the manufacturer and civil aviation 

authorities. 

Discussion 

From the standpoint of a passenger 

safety system, the inflatable lapbelt is 

unique in that it is both an active and 

entirely autonomous device. While the 

automotive industry has good 

experience with inflatable airbags, the 

conditions of use and reliance on the 

inflatable lapbelt 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 


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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 lapbelt 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, since such devices 

will likely provide a level of safety that 

exceeds the minimum standards of the 

Federal aviation regulations. 

Conversely, inflatable lapbelts in 

general are active systems and must be 

relied upon to activate properly when 

needed, as opposed to an energyabsorbing pad or upper torso restraint 

that is passive, and always available. 

Therefore, the potential advantages 

must be balanced against these and 

other potential disadvantages in order to 

develop standards for this design 

feature. 

The FAA has considered the 

installation of inflatable lapbelts 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 requirements, owing to 

the active nature of the system. 

The inflatable lapbelt will rely on 

electronic sensors for signaling and 

pyrotechnic charges for activation so 

that it is available when needed. These 

same devices could be susceptible to 

inadvertent activation, causing 

deployment in a potentially unsafe 

manner. The consequences of such 

deployment, as well as failure to deploy, 

must be considered in establishing the 

reliability of the system. Boeing must 

substantiate that the effects of an 

inadvertent deployment in flight are 

either not a hazard to the airplane, or 

that such deployment is an extremely 

improbable occurrence (less than 10¥9

per flight hour). The effect of an 

inadvertent deployment on a passenger 

or crewmember that might be positioned 

close to the inflatable lapbelt should 

also be considered. The person could be 

either standing or sitting. A minimum 

reliability level will have to 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 conditions 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 regulations 

regarding lightning, § 25.1316, and 

existing HIRF special conditions for the 

767–300 series airplanes, Special 

Conditions No. 25–ANM–18, are 

applicable. For the purposes of 

compliance with those conditions, if 

inadvertent deployment could cause a 

hazard to the airplane, the inflatable 

lapbelt is considered a critical system; if 

inadvertent deployment could cause 

injuries to persons, the inflatable lapbelt 

should be considered an essential 

system. Finally, the inflatable lapbelt 

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. 

In order to be an effective safety 

system, the inflatable lapbelt must 

function properly and must not 

introduce any additional hazards to 

occupants as a result of its functioning. 

There are several areas where the 

inflatable lapbelt differs from traditional 

occupant protection systems and 

requires special conditions to ensure 

adequate performance. 

Because the inflatable lapbelt is 

essentially a single use device, there is 

the potential that it could deploy under 

crash conditions that are not sufficiently 

severe as to require head injury 

protection from the inflatable lapbelt. 

Since an actual crash is frequently 

composed of a series of impacts before 

the airplane comes to rest, this could 

render the inflatable lapbelt useless if a 

larger impact follows the initial impact. 

This 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 lapbelt 

installation should be such that the 

inflatable lapbelt will provide 

protection when it is required, by not 

expending its protection during a less 

severe impact. Also, it is possible to 

have several large impact events during 

the course of a crash, but there will be 

no requirement for the inflatable lapbelt 

to provide protection for multiple 

impacts. 

Since 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 lapbelts that 

are active. 

The inflatable lap belt should be 

effective for a wide range of occupants. 

The FAA has historically considered the 

range from the fifth percentile female to 

the ninety-fifth 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 

the lapbelt installation and its 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, and so it would not be 

necessary to show that the inflatable 

lapbelt will enhance the brace position. 

However, the inflatable lapbelt must not 

introduce a hazard in that case when 

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. Although 

specifically prohibited by the FAA 

operating regulations, the use of the 

supplementary loop belt (‘‘belly belt’’) 

may be required by other civil aviation 

authorities, and should also be 

considered with the end goal of meeting 

those regulations. Similarly, if the seat 

is occupied by a pregnant woman, the 

installation needs to address such usage, 

either by demonstrating that it will 

function properly, or by adding 

appropriate limitation on usage. 

Since the inflatable lapbelt will be 

electrically powered, there is the 

possibility that the system could fail 

due to a separation in the fuselage. 

Since this system is intended as crash/ 

post-crash protection means, failure 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. 

Since the inflatable lapbelt is likely to 

have a large volume displacement, the 

inflated bag could potentially impede 

egress of passengers. Since the bag 

deflates to absorb energy, it is likely that 

an inflatable lapbelt would be deflated 

at the time that persons would be trying 

to leave their seats. Nonetheless, it is 

considered appropriate to specify a time 


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interval after which the inflatable 

lapbelt may not impede rapid egress. 

Ten seconds has been chosen as a 

reasonable time since 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 by a flight attendant 

this quickly in an accident severe 

enough to warrant deployment of the 

inflatable lapbelt, and the inflatable 

lapbelt will likely deflate much quicker 

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 access to the 

exit from the main aisle in the form of 

an unobstructed passageway and 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 is the one who will open the 

exit, such as a Type III over wing hatch. 

These lapbelts should be evaluated in 

the exit row under existing regulations 

(§§ 25.809 and 25.813) and guidance 

material. The inflatable lapbelts 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 interferences in 

opening the exit. Each unique interior 

configuration must be considered, for 

example, passageway width, single or 

dual passageways with outboard seat 

removed, etc. If the restraint creates any 

obstruction or interference, it is likely 

that it could impede the rapid egress of 

the airplane. Project-specific guidance is 

likely necessary if these restraint 

systems are installed at exit door rows. 

The current special conditions for the 

Boeing 777 series airplanes, Special 

Conditions No. 25–187A–SC, were 

amended to address flammability of the 

airbag material. During the development 

of the inflatable lapbelt, the 

manufacturer was unable to develop a 

fabric that would meet the inflation 

requirements for the bag and the 

flammability requirements of part I, 

paragraph (a)(1)(ii), of appendix F to 

part 25. The fabrics that were developed 

that met the flammability requirement 

did not produce acceptable deployment 

characteristics. However, the 

manufacturer was able to develop a 

fabric that meets the less stringent 

flammability requirements of part I, 

paragraph (a)(1)(iv), of appendix F to 

part 25 and has acceptable deployment 

characteristics. 

Part I of appendix F to part 25 

specifies the flammability requirements 

for interior materials and components. 

There is no reference to inflatable 

restraint systems in appendix F, because 

such devices did not exist at the time 

the flammability requirements were 

written. The existing requirements are 

based on both material types, as well as 

use, and have been specified in light of 

the state-of-the-art of 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 to construct 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 restraint 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 restraints. Since the safety 

benefit of the inflatable restraint is very 

significant, the flammability standard 

appropriate for these devices should not 

screen out suitable materials, thereby 

effectively eliminating use of inflatable 

restraints. The FAA will need to 

establish a balance between the safety 

benefit of the inflatable restraint and its 

flammability performance. At this time, 

the 2.5-inch per minute horizontal test 

is considered to provide that balance. 

As the state-of-the-art 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 lapbelts is a relatively 

rare event, and because the 

consequences of an inadvertent 

activation are potentially quite severe, 

these latter requirements are probably 

the more rigorous from a design 

standpoint. 

Finally, it should be noted that the 

special conditions are applicable to the 

inflatable lapbelt system as installed. 

The special conditions are not an 

installation approval. Therefore, while 

the 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. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the 767– 

300. 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 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 airplanes. It is not a rule of general 

applicability. 

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 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 

767–300 airplanes. 

1. Seats with Inflatable Lapbelts. It 

must be shown that the inflatable 

lapbelt will deploy and provide 

protection under crash conditions 

where it is necessary to prevent serious 

head injury. The means of protection 

must take into consideration a range of 

stature from a two-year-old child to a 

ninety-fifth percentile male. The 

inflatable lapbelt must provide a 

consistent approach to energy 

absorption throughout that range of 

occupants. In addition, the following 

situations must be considered: 

a. The seat occupant is holding an 

infant. 


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b. The seat occupant is a child in a 

child restraint device. 

c. The seat occupant is a child not 

using a child restraint device. 

d. The seat occupant is a pregnant 

woman. 

2. The inflatable lapbelt must provide 

adequate protection for each occupant 

regardless of the number of occupants of 

the seat assembly, considering that 

unoccupied seats may have active 

seatbelts. 

3. The design must prevent the 

inflatable lapbelt from being either 

incorrectly buckled or incorrectly 

installed such that the inflatable lapbelt 

would not properly deploy. 

Alternatively, it must be shown that 

such deployment is not hazardous to the 

occupant and will provide the required 

head injury protection. 

4. It must be shown that the inflatable 

lapbelt system 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) 

likely to be experienced in service. 

5. Deployment of the inflatable lapbelt 

must not introduce injury mechanisms 

to the seated occupant or result in 

injuries that could impede rapid egress. 

This assessment should include an 

occupant who is in the brace position 

when it deploys and an occupant whose 

belt is loosely fastened. 

6. It must be shown that inadvertent 

deployment of the inflatable lapbelt, 

during the most critical part of the 

flight, will either not cause a hazard to 

the airplane or its occupants, or meets 

the requirements of § 25.1309(b). 

7. It must be shown that the inflatable 

lapbelt will not impede rapid egress of 

occupants 10 seconds after its 

deployment. 

8. The system must be protected from 

lightning and HIRF. The threats 

specified in existing regulations 

regarding lightning, § 25.1316, and 

existing HIRF special conditions for the 

Boeing Model 767 series aircraft, 

Special Conditions No. 25–ANM–18, are 

incorporated by reference for the 

purpose of measuring lightning and 

HIRF protection. For the purposes of 

complying with HIRF requirements, the 

inflatable lapbelt system is considered a 

‘‘critical system’’ if its deployment 

could have a hazardous effect on the 

airplane; otherwise, it is considered an 

‘‘essential’’ system. 

9. Inflatable lapbelts, once deployed, 

must not adversely affect the emergency 

lighting system (i.e., block proximity 

lights to the extent that the lights no 

longer meet their intended function). 

10. The inflatable lapbelt must 

function properly after loss of normal 

aircraft electrical power and after a 

transverse separation of the fuselage at 

the most critical location. A separation 

at the location of the lapbelt does not 

have to be considered. 

11. It must be shown that the 

inflatable lapbelt will not release 

hazardous quantities of gas or 

particulate matter into the cabin. 

12. The inflatable lapbelt installation 

must be protected from the effects of fire 

such that no hazard to occupants will 

result. 

13. There must be a means for a 

crewmember to verify the integrity of 

the inflatable lapbelt activation system 

prior to each flight, or it must be 

demonstrated to operate reliably 

between inspection intervals. The FAA 

considers the loss of the airbag system 

deployment function alone (i.e., 

independent of the conditional event 

that requires the airbag system 

deployment) to be a major failure 

condition. 

14. The inflatable material may not 

have an average burn rate of greater than 

2.5 inches/minute when tested using the 

horizontal flammability test as defined 

in 14 CFR part 25, appendix F, part I, 

paragraph (b)(5). 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on January 

5, 2012. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service, ANM–100. 

[FR Doc. 2012–350 Filed 1–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2011–1139; Directorate 

Identifier 2011–CE–021–AD; Amendment 

39–16911; AD 2011–27–09] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Socata 

Airplanes 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Final rule. 

SUMMARY: We are adopting a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for Socata 

Model TBM 700 airplanes. This AD 

results from mandatory continuing 

airworthiness information (MCAI) 

issued by an aviation authority of 

another country to identify and correct 

an unsafe condition on an aviation 

product. The MCAI describes the unsafe 

condition as installation of the wrong 

(switched) aileron control cables in the 

wing. This unsafe condition could lead 

to restricted movement of the aileron, 

resulting in reduced control of the 

airplane. We are issuing this AD to 

require actions to address the unsafe 

condition on these products. 

DATES: This AD is effective February 15, 

2012. 

The Director of the Federal Register 

approved the incorporation by reference 

of certain publications listed in the AD 

as of February 15, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: You may examine the AD 

docket on the Internet at http:// 

www.regulations.gov or in person at 

Document Management Facility, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, Docket 

Operations, M–30, West Building 

Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, 

DC 20590. 

For service information identified in 

this proposed AD, contact Socata— 

Direction des Services—65921 Tarbes 

Cedex 9—France; telephone +33 (0) 62 

41 7300, fax +33 (0) 62 41 76 54, or for 

North America: Socata North America, 

7501 South Airport Road, North Perry 

Airport (HWO), Pembroke Pines, Florida 

33023; telephone: (954) 893–1400; fax: 

(954) 964–4141; email: 

mysocata@socata.daher.com; Internet: 

http://mysocata.com. You may review 

copies of the referenced service 

information at the FAA, Small Airplane 

Directorate, 901 Locust, Kansas City, 

Missouri 64106. For information on the 

availability of this material at the FAA, 

call (816) 329–4148. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Albert Mercado, Aerospace Engineer, 

FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, 901 

Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, 

Missouri 64106; telephone: (816) 329– 

4119; fax: (816) 329–4090; email: 

albert.mercado@faa.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Discussion 

We issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) to amend 14 CFR 

part 39 to include an AD that would 

apply to the specified products. That 

NPRM was published in the Federal 

Register on October 21, 2011 (76 FR 

65419). That NPRM proposed to correct 

an unsafe condition for the specified 

products. The MCAI states: 

A TBM 700 operator reported a case of 

inverted installation of aileron control cables 

in the wing. The shortest cable was found 

installed instead of the longest one on wing 

tip side, with left hand (LH) threaded end in 

upper section. This wrong installation could 

have been caused by mistaken maintenance 

data. 

This condition, if not detected and 

corrected, could lead to restricted movement 


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