Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 63847 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

September 6, 2013. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–24987 Filed 10–24–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0773; Special 

Conditions No. 25–496–SC] 

Special Conditions: Embraer S.A., 

Model EMB–550 Airplanes; Airplane 

Electronic System Security Protection 

From Unauthorized External Access 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special condition; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Embraer S.A. Model 

EMB–550 airplane. This airplane will 

have a novel or unusual design feature 

associated with the architecture and 

connectivity capabilities of the 

airplanes’ computer systems and 

networks, which may allow access to or 

by external computer systems and 

networks. Connectivity to, or access by, 

external systems and networks may 

result in security vulnerabilities to the 

airplanes’ systems. 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 October 25, 2013. 

We must receive your comments by 

December 9, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2013–0773 

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: 

Varun Khanna, FAA, Airplane and 

Flight Crew Interface Branch, ANM– 

111, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind 

Avenue SW., Renton, Washington 

98057–3356; telephone 425–227–1298; 

facsimile 425–227–1149. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA 

has determined that notice of, and 

opportunity for prior public comment 

on, these special conditions are 

unnecessary because 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 publication. 

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 May 14, 2009, Embraer S.A. 

applied for a type certificate for their 

new Model EMB–550 airplane. The 

Model EMB–550 airplane is the first of 

a new family of jet airplanes designed 

for corporate flight, fractional, charter, 

and private owner operations. The 

aircraft has a conventional configuration 

with low wing and T-tail empennage. 

The primary structure is metal with 

composite empennage and control 

surfaces. The Model EMB–550 airplane 

is designed for 8 passengers, with a 

maximum of 12 passengers. It is 

equipped with two Honeywell 

HTF7500–E medium bypass ratio 

turbofan engines mounted on aft 

fuselage pylons. Each engine produces 

approximately 6,540 pounds of thrust 

for normal takeoff. The primary flight 

controls consist of hydraulically 

powered fly-by-wire elevators, ailerons 

and rudder, controlled by the pilot or 

copilot sidestick. 

The digital systems architecture for 

the Embraer Model EMB–550 series of 

airplanes is composed of several 

connected networks. This proposed 

network architecture is used for a 

diverse set of functions, providing data 

connectivity between systems, 

including: 

• Airplane control, communication, 

display, monitoring and navigation 

systems, 

• Airline business and administrative 

support systems, 

• Passenger entertainment systems, 

and 

• Access by systems external to the 

airplane. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of Title 14, Code 

of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 

21.17, Embraer S.A. must show that the 

Model EMB–550 airplane meets the 

applicable provisions of part 25, as 

amended by Amendments 25–1 through 

25–127 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 Model EMB–550 airplane 

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. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with RULES
63848 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 207 / Friday, October 25, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 

In addition to the applicable 

airworthiness regulations and special 

conditions, the Model EMB–550 

airplane must comply with the fuel vent 

and exhaust emission requirements of 

14 CFR part 34 and the noise 

certification requirements of 14 CFR 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 Embraer S.A. Model EMB–550 

airplane will incorporate the following 

novel or unusual design features: digital 

systems architecture composed of 

several connected networks. The 

proposed architecture and network 

configuration may be used for, or 

interfaced with, a diverse set of 

functions, including: 

1. Flight-safety related control, 

communication, display, monitoring, 

and navigation systems (aircraft control 

functions); 

2. Airline business and administrative 

support (airline information services); 

3. Passenger information and 

entertainment systems (passenger 

entertainment services); and, 

4. The capability to allow access to or 

by systems external to the airplane. 

Discussion 

The proposed Model EMB–550 

architecture and network configuration 

may allow increased connectivity to and 

access by external airplane sources, 

airline operations, and maintenance 

systems to the aircraft control functions 

and airline information services. The 

aircraft control and airline information 

functions perform actions required for 

the safe operation and maintenance of 

the airplane. Previously, these functions 

had very limited connectivity with 

external sources. 

The architecture and network 

configuration may allow the 

exploitation of network security 

vulnerabilities resulting in intentional 

or unintentional destruction, disruption, 

degradation, or exploitation of data, 

systems, and networks critical to the 

safety and maintenance of the airplane. 

The existing regulations and guidance 

material did not anticipate these types 

of airplane system architectures. 

Furthermore, 14 CFR regulations and 

current system safety assessment policy 

and techniques do not address potential 

security vulnerabilities, which could be 

exploited by unauthorized access to 

airplane systems, data buses, and 

servers. Therefore, these special 

conditions and a means of compliance 

are issued to ensure that the security 

(i.e., confidentiality, integrity, and 

availability) of airplane systems is not 

compromised by unauthorized wired or 

wireless electronic connections. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the Embraer 

S.A. Model EMB–550 airplane. Should 

Embraer S.A. 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. 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 Embraer S.A. 

Model EMB–550 airplanes. 

Airplane Electronic System Security 

Protection From Unauthorized External 

Access 

1. The applicant must ensure airplane 

electronic system security protection 

from access by unauthorized sources 

external to the airplane, including those 

possibly caused by maintenance 

activity. 

2. The applicant must ensure that 

electronic system security threats are 

identified and assessed, and that 

effective electronic system security 

protection strategies are implemented to 

protect the airplane from all adverse 

impacts on safety, functionality, and 

continued airworthiness. 

3. The applicant must establish 

appropriate procedures to allow the 

operator to ensure that continued 

airworthiness of the airplane is 

maintained, including all post typecertification modifications that may 

have an impact on the approved 

electronic system security safeguards. 

November 29, 2013. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

September 6, 2013. 

Jeffrey E. Duven, 

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2013–24989 Filed 10–24–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2013–0776; Special 

Conditions No. 25–498–SC] 

Special Conditions: Embraer S.A., 

Model EMB–550 Airplanes; Sidestick 

Controllers 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Final special condition; request 

for comments. 

SUMMARY: These special conditions are 

issued for the Embraer S.A. Model 

EMB–550 airplane. This airplane will 

have a novel or unusual design feature 

associated with sidestick controllers. 

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 October 25, 2013. 

We must receive your comments by 

December 9, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2013–0776 

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 


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