**Exemption No. 9801** 

**UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION**  **FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION RENTON, WASHINGTON 9805**  **7**
**- 33**  **56**

Inthe matter of the petition of **The Boeing Company** for an exemption from § 25.1447(c)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations **Regulatory Docket No. FAA** 
**- 2008** 
**- 0660** 

**GRANT OF EXEMPTION** By letter BDCO

- 08

- 02063 , dated May 7 , 200 8, Mr. D.B

. Macrander, Lead Project Administrator, Puget Sound, The Boeing Company , PO Box 3707, Seattle, Washington, 98124, petitioned for an exemption from § 25.1447(c)(1) of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR). Additional data to support the petition for exemption was submitted via letter BDCO

- 08

- 04790 , dated October 16 , 2008. The proposed exemption, if gr anted, would permit relief from the requirement for passenger oxy gen masks to be automatically presented before the cabin pressure altitude exceeds 15,000 feet for the Boeing Model 787 series airplane s
. **The petitioner requests relief from the following regulations:**  **Section 25.1447(c)(l)** states that there must be an oxygen dispensing unit connected to oxy gen supply

terminals immediately

available to each occupant, wherever seated. I f certification for operation above 30,000 feet is requested, the dispe nsing units providing the required oxy gen flow must be automatically presented to the occupants before the cabin pressure altitude exceeds 15,000 feet and the crew must be provided with a manual means to make the dispensing units immediately available in t he event of failure of the automatic sy stem.2

**The petitioner supports its request with the following information**  **:** The following material is quoted from Boeing’s petition. To provide the baseline operation for the 787 series airplane ’s maximum take off and landing at airports with elevations that approach the standard automatic passenger oxygen mask deploy

ment cabin altitude, the Model 787 Passenger Oxygen Sy stem automatic activation is accomplished as the cabin pressure altitude approaches the greater of 15,000 feet or 2,000 feet above take off and or landing altitude in the event of a depressurization. Therefore, when operating into and out of an airport with an altitude in excess of 13,000 feet, the automatic activation of the passenger oxygen sy stem will exceed 15,000 feet

. The maximum cabin pressure altitude for the baseline passenger oxygen sy stem mask deploy ment will be limited to 16,000 feet.
PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT Granting this exemption would be in the public interest by a llowing airlin es that operate 78 7 series aircraft to compete with other operators of airplanes at high altitude airports already approved by FAA and other authorities.
FACTORS SUPPORTI

NG THE PETI TI ON To prevent the unintentional actuation of th e passenger oxy gen sy ste m at hi gh altitude airport operations such as ground operation, take off and landing, t he Model 787 passenger oxy gen sy stem automatic actuation setting is set as the cabin pressure altitude approaches the greater of 15,000 feet or 2,000 feet above take off and or landing altitude when operating into and out of airports that exceed 13,000 feet. An alert message is implemented in the sy stem to indicate that the oxy gen sy stem has been activated. This actuation setting is consistent with the following EASA acceptable means of compliance: AMC 25.1447(c)(1), “The design of the automatic presentation sy stem should take into account that when the landing field altitude is less than 610 m (2000 feet) below the normal preset automatic presentation altitude, the a utomatic presentation altitude may be reset to landing field altitude plus 610 m (2000 feet).” **Federal Register publication**  A summary

of this petition was not published in the Federal Register . The FAA determined that this exemption does not set a prece dent and any delay in acting on this petition would be detrimental to Boeing.3

**The FAA's analysis** The petitioner requests an exe mption for the Boeing Model 78 7 series airplanes. We agree with the petitioner and find their public interest statement accep table. The petitioner requests relief from the requirement in § 25.1447(c)(1) , which states that oxy gen dispensing equipment for occupants must be automatically presented before the cabin pressure altitude reaches 15,000 feet. A requirement for automati c presentation of masks for airplanes certificated to operate above 30,000 feet originated in § 4b.651(d)(3)(i) of the Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR) and was carried over as 14 CFR 25.1447(c)(1) when part 25 was codified. The CAR requirement did not spe cify the maximum cabin altitude pressure allowed prior to presentation. The requirement that the oxygen equipment be automatically presented before the cabin pressure altitude reaches 15,000 feet was added at Amendment 25

- 41, effective September 1, 1977. To provide the baseline operation for the 787 series airplane the passenger oxy gen masks automatically

deploy when the cabin pressure altitude approaches the greater of 15,000 feet or 2,000 feet above take off and or landing altitude. Therefore, when ope rating into and out of an airport with an altitude in excess of 13,000 feet, the automatic activation of the passenger oxy gen sy stem will exceed 15,000 feet. This feature is necessary to allow a margin between the airport altitude and the automatic deploy ment altitude, thus reducing the occurrence of inadvertent oxy gen mask deploy

ment. The maximum cabin pressure altitude for the baseline passenger oxy gen sy stem mask deploy ment will be limited to 16,000 feet.
**The FAA’s decision**
Inconsideration of the foregoing, Ifind that a grant of exemption is in the public interest. Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. §§ 40113 and 44701, delegated to me by the Administrator, The Boeing Company is granted an exemption from the requirement o f § 25.1447(c)(1) that the passenger oxy gen equipment be automatically presented before the cabin pressure altitude exceeds 15,000 feet. F or Boeing Model 787 series airplanes , t his grant of exemption will permit passenger oxygen masks to be automatically presented a t cabin pressure altitudes between 15,000 and 16,00 0 feet when operating into and out of airports with altitudes above 13,0 00 feet. This exemption will remain in effect unless superseded or rescinded.
Is sued in Renton, Washington , on December 12, 2008. Signed by Michael J. Kaszycki Michael J. Kaszy cki Acting Manager , Transport Airplane Directorate Aircraft Certification Service4