This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains notices to the public of the proposed

issuance of rules and regulations. The

purpose of these notices is to give interested

persons an opportunity to participate in the

rule making prior to the adoption of the final

rules.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

58970 

Vol. 77, No. 186 

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 25 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–0260; Notice No. 25– 

12–05–SC] 

Special Conditions: Embraer S.A. 

Model EMB–550 Airplanes, Sudden 

Engine Stoppage 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed special 

conditions. 

SUMMARY: This action proposes special 

conditions for the Embraer Model EMB– 

550 airplane. This airplane will have a 

novel or unusual design feature 

associated with the effects of sudden 

engine stoppage upon the airframe. 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: Submit your comments on or 

before October 26, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified 

by docket number FAA–2011–0260 

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: 

Cindy Ashforth, FAA, International 

Branch, ANM–116, Transport Airplane 

Directorate, Aircraft Certification 

Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., 

Renton, Washington 98057–3356; 

telephone (425) 227–2768; facsimile 

(425) 227–1320. 

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 May 14, 2009, Embraer 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 jets designed as a corporate jet, and 

for fractional, charter, and privateowner operations. The airplane is a 

conventional configuration with a 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 eight passengers, with a 

maximum of 12 passengers (including 

toilet seat). It is equipped with two 

Honeywell HTF7500–E medium-bypassratio turbofan jet engines mounted on 

aft-fuselage pylons. Each engine 

produces approximately 6,540 lb of 

thrust for normal takeoff. The primary 

flight-control systems are electronically 

controlled using fly-by-wire (FBW) 

technology. 

The Model EMB–550 airplane 

incorporates novel or unusual design 

features involving engine size and 

torque load that affect the airframe as it 

relates to sudden engine-stoppage 

conditions. 

Type Certification Basis 

Under the provisions of Title 14, Code 

of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.17, 

Embraer must show that the Model 

EMB–550 airplane meets the applicable 

provisions of part 25, as amended by 

Amendments 25–1 through 1–127. 

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 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 Model EMB–550 

airplane must comply with the fuel-vent 

and exhaust-emission requirements of 

14 CFR part 34 and the noisecertification 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). 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2012 / Proposed Rules 58971 

Novel or Unusual Design Features 

The Model EMB–550 airplane will 

incorporate the following novel or 

unusual design features: 

The engine proposed for the Embraer 

Model EMB–550 airplane is a mediumbypass-ratio turbofan jet engine that will 

not seize and produce transient torque 

loads in the same manner that is 

envisioned by current § 25.361(b)(1) 

related to ‘‘sudden engine stoppage.’’ 

Discussion 

The limit engine torque load imposed 

by sudden engine stoppage due to 

malfunction or structural failure (such 

as compressor jamming) has been a 

specific requirement for transportcategory airplanes since 1957. In the 

past, the design torque loads associated 

with typical failure scenarios have been 

estimated by the engine manufacturer 

and provided to the airframe 

manufacturer as limit loads. These limit 

loads were considered simple, purely 

static torque loads. The size, 

configuration, and failure modes of jet 

engines have changed considerably from 

what was envisioned when the engineseizure requirement of § 25.361(b) was 

first adopted. Current engines are much 

larger and are now designed with large 

bypass fans capable of producing much 

larger torque loads if they become 

jammed. 

Relative to the engine configurations 

that existed when the rule was 

developed in 1957, the present 

generation of engines are sufficiently 

different and novel to justify issuance of 

special conditions to establish 

appropriate design standards. The latest 

generations of jet engines are capable of 

producing, during failure, transient 

loads that are significantly higher and 

more complex than the generation of 

engines that were present when the 

existing standard was developed. 

Therefore, the FAA has determined that 

special conditions are needed for the 

Embraer Model EMB–550 airplane. 

To maintain the level of safety 

envisioned in § 25.361(b), more 

comprehensive criteria are needed for 

the new generation of high-bypass 

engines. The special conditions would 

distinguish between the more common 

engine-failure events and those rare 

events resulting from structural failures. 

For these less common but more severe 

seizure events, the criteria (as stated in 

special conditions numbers 3 and 4, 

below) could allow some deformation in 

the engine-supporting structure 

(ultimate load design) to absorb the 

higher energy associated with the highbypass engines, while at the same time 

protecting the adjacent primary 

structure in the wing and fuselage by 

providing a higher safety factor. The 

criteria for the more-severe events 

would no longer be a purely static 

torque-load condition, but would 

account for the full spectrum of 

transient dynamic loads developed from 

the engine-failure condition. 

Applicability 

As discussed above, these special 

conditions are applicable to the Model 

EMB–550 airplane. Should Embraer 

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 airplane. 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 the 

Embraer Model EMB–550 airplane. In 

lieu of 14 CFR 25.361(b), the following 

special conditions are proposed: 

1. For turbine-engine installations, the 

engine mounts, pylons, and adjacent 

supporting airframe structure must be 

designed to withstand 1g level flight 

loads acting simultaneously with the 

maximum limit torque loads imposed 

by each of the following: 

(a) Sudden engine deceleration due to 

a malfunction that could result in a 

temporary loss of power or thrust, and 

(b) The maximum acceleration of the 

engine. 

2. For auxiliary power unit (APU) 

installations, the APU mounts and 

adjacent supporting airframe structure 

must be designed to withstand 1g level 

flight loads acting simultaneously with 

the maximum limit torque loads 

imposed by each of the following: 

(a) Sudden APU deceleration due to 

malfunction or structural failure; and 

(b) The maximum acceleration of the 

APU. 

3. For engine-supporting structure, an 

ultimate loading condition must be 

considered that combines 1g flight loads 

with the transient dynamic loads 

resulting from: 

(a) The loss of any fan, compressor, or 

turbine blade; and separately 

(b) Where applicable to a specific 

engine design, any other engine 

structural failure that results in higher 

loads. 

4. The ultimate loads developed from 

the conditions specified in paragraphs 

3(a) and 3(b) are to be multiplied by a 

factor of 1.0 when applied to engine 

mounts and pylons, and multiplied by 

a factor of 1.25 when applied to adjacent 

supporting airframe structure. 

5. Any permanent deformation that 

results from the conditions specified in 

Special Condition 3, above, must not 

prevent continued safe flight and 

landing. 

Issued in Renton, Washington, on 

September 6, 2012. 

Ali Bahrami, 

Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, 

Aircraft Certification Service. 

[FR Doc. 2012–23536 Filed 9–24–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

14 CFR Part 39 

[Docket No. FAA–2012–1014; Directorate 

Identifier 2010–SW–058–AD] 

RIN 2120–AA64 

Airworthiness Directives; Eurocopter 

France (Eurocopter) Helicopters 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA) DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking 

(NPRM). 

SUMMARY: We propose to adopt a new 

airworthiness directive (AD) for 

Eurocopter Model SA–365N1, AS– 

365N2, and AS365N3 helicopters. This 

proposed AD would revise the 

Limitations section of the Rotorcraft 

Flight Manual (RFM) to prohibit flight 

in instrument meteorological conditions 

(IMC) or night visual flight rules (VFR) 

for each helicopter with a vertical gyro 

unit GV76–1 installed upon a nonreinforced shelf in the rear cargo 

compartment. Also, this proposed AD 

would require modifying the GV76–1 

vertical gyro unit shelf and testing for 

correct function of the navigation 

systems. This proposed AD is prompted 

by flight crew reports of deviations 

between the displayed attitude on the 

attitude display screen and the 

independent electromechanical standby 

attitude indicator. The proposed actions 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS