12/17/201 0 16:2 8 816329410 6 SA D PA6 E 02/0 4

Exemptio n No , l o 18 2 

### DEPARTMENT O F

';^MSPORTAT(O N - i T OPERATION S UNITE D STATES O

FAMERICA DEPARTMEN

T O F TRANSPORTATION FEDERAL AVIATIO

N ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON , D C 2059 1 

### T 3 '.'^ C ^ 0 A %2 I

I n th e matte

r o f th e petitio n o f AVIATIO N FABRICATORS , INC
. fo r a n exemptio n from § 23.81 5 ofTitlel4,Codeo f Federa l Regulation s Regulatory Docke t No
. FAA-2008-043 3

DENIA L O F EXEMPTIO N B y lette r date dApril 4,2008 , Mr
. Tod d Pogue , Design/Drafting , Aviatio n Fabricator , Inc
. AVFAB , 80 5 Nort

h Fourt h Street , Clinton , M O 6473 5 petitione d th e Federa l Aviatio n Administratio n (FAA) o

n behal f o f AVFA B fo r a n exemptio n fro

m§ 23.81 5 o f

Titl e 14 , Cod

e o f Federa l Regulation s (1 4 CFR)
. Th e proposed exemption , i f granted , woul d permi t

Aviatio n Fabricator s to insital

l Beechcraf

t Af l Jum p Sea t Kit s i n Becchcraf

t mode l B30 0 aircraf

t wit h a wid e bac k executiv e sea

t configuration
. The revised configuratio n woul d increas e seatin g i n th e aircraf t to 1 0 o r 1 1 passengers , without

replacin g th e existin g cabi n seat s wit h anarrowe

r sea t whic h woul dhav e widt

h o f aisl e les s tha

n require d b y § 23.815
. Th e petitione r

[requires/requests ] relie f fro mth e follawittg regulation[s] : Sectio n 23.815 , Amendmen t 23-34 , prescribes , i n pertinen t part , tha t fo r commute r categor y airplanes , th e widt

h o f th e mai n passenge

r aisl e a t an y point betwee n seat s mus t

equa l o r excee dth e value s i

n th e followin g table : Numbe r of Passenge r 1 0 throug h 1 9 Seat s • | Minimu

m mai n passenger—aisl e widt

h \ Les s tha n 2 5 inche s fromfloori 2 5 inche s an d more from floor i 9 inche s 1 5 inche s Th e petitione r

support s it s reques t

with th e followin g information : Th e petitioner

seek s relie f

fromth e requirement s o f

1 4 CF RPar t 23 , § 23.815 , Amendmen

t 23-34 , whe

n th e passenge

r seatin g i s increase d to ten (10 ) o r eleven (11 ) seats , beginnin g wit h eigh t (8 ) o r nin e (9 ) "wid

e back " Executiv e Seat s an d addin g on e (1 ) o r

tw o (2 ) jum

p seat s ACE-U-008- E12/17/201 0 15:2 8 81632S410 5 SA D

whe n installe dpe

r ST C SA00635WI
. Th

e equivalen

t safet y clai mi s based o

n emergency evacuation testin g i

n complianc e wit

h § 23.803
. Meeting thi s rul e woul dimpos e a n economi c burde

n i^o n th e operator s o f

thes e aircraf

t i n tw o ways . Firs t

th e existin g "wid

e back " executiv e seat s mus t b e remove d an

d new narrowe

r seat s mus t b e purchase dan

dinstalle d prior

t o installin g the jum

p seat s o f ST C SA00635WI , Thi s burden woul dcos t

betwee n $90,000 an

d SIOO.OOO

. Second the y canno t

receiv e the economic benefit

o f increasin g the seat s b y adding ihe jum p seat s i n th e aircraft , without incurrin g th e first

expense . The publi c wouldbenefit

fromthi s exemption , i n tha t more passenger s coul d b e transporte d eac h fliglit reducin g th e cos t

t o eac h passenger . Th

e cos t o f operatin g th e modified Hawke r Beechcraf t 300B aircraft , s/n' s 000 1 through 0155 , woul d no t significantly increas e as th e existin g interio r

ftimishings woul db e retaine d fo r us e an d tha t saving s ca

n b e passe d o n t

o the passengers . Ther

e i s asmalle

r secondar y benefit , in tha

t th e larger , mor

e comfortable , cabi

n seat s woul db e retaine di n the existin g sca t locations
. Comment s o

n publishe dpetitio n summary : A summar y o f th e petitio n wa s publishe d in the Federa l Rceister o n Novembe

r 8,201 0 (7 5 F R68667) , Th e commen

t perio d closed o

n Novembe

r 29 , 2010
. N o comment s wer e received
. Th e FAA' s analysi s i s a s follows : The FA A finds tha

t the Fina l Rule , Docke

t Numbe r 23516
. stated : "Th e compartmen t interior requirement s ar

c equivalen

t to thos e set

fort h mPar t 2 5 a t th e tun e Notic e Numbe r 83-1 7 wa s issued , irrespectiv e o f th e maximu

mweight o f the commute

r categor y airplanes. " So , th e inten

t o f the rul e i s t

o appl y an equivalent

standar d fo r widt h o f aisl e to Par

t 25 , no t less , an d th e specified aisl e width s ar e rainimums. Ther

e ar e 12 0 N-registere dB30 0 airplane s an d thes e plane s ar

e certifie d fo

r u p to 1 9 passengers . Thus , ther

e ar e approved mean s tha

t d o no t require a n exemption t

o updat e th e passenge

r coun t whil e complying wit

h 1 4 CFR , § 23.815 , Amendmen t 23-34
. Th

e applican t propose da

n evacuatio n tes t

per 1 4 CFR , § 23.803 , a s a

n equivalen

t leve l o f safety
. FA

A beUeve s the minimu

mwidt h o f aisl e require d b y 1 4 CFR , § 23,815 , i s neededin 1
. a n emergency landing t

o accoun t fo r bot h th e number

o f passenger s an

d th e injurie s t o som

e passenger s i

n a n actua l emergenc y landing ; 2
. taxi , takeof

f an dlanding ; an

d 3
. al l othe r phase s o f flight s o crew ca n reach all part s o f

th e cabin an

d passenger s ca

n retur n to their seat s i n turbulence
. Therefore , grantin g thi s exemption woul d hav e a n advers e effec

t o n safety
.12/17/201 0 16:2 8 816329410 6 SA D PAG E 04/0 4

Th e aisl e widt

h limit s ar e minimum s fo

r which th e Smal l Aircraf

t Directorate ha s neve

r grante da n excmption
. Althougb agrant

o f exemptio n clearl

y benefit s th e petitioner

a s aprivat e entity , the FA A consider s meetin g the aisl e requirement s o f § 23.81 5 t

o b e ii : the travelin g public' s interest
. Thus , th e petitio n i s no t i n th e publi c interes t Th e FAA' s Decision : h i consideratio n o f

th e foregoing , I find tha

t agran t o f exemptio n woul d no t

b e in th e publi c interest
. Therefore , pursuant to the authorit

y containe d i n 4 9 U.S.C
. § § 4011 3 an d44701 , delegate dt o me b y th e Administrator , the petitio n o f Aviatio n Fabricators , Inc
. fo r a n exemption from1 4 CF

R§ 23.81 5 i s hereb y denied
. Issued i n Kansa s Cil^^Missour

i o n ^Decembe

r 17 , 2010'
. 

# y^J i Willlau j jerlak e Acting^;Watiagar > Small
. Airplan e Directorat e Alrctaf t Certificatio n Servic e