Elizabeth Swarthout

215 Winding Way Horseheads, NY 14845 607

- 739

- 1716 lizswarthout@stny .rr.com May 26, 2013 To Whom It May

Concern:

I am writing to request an exemption from 14 CFR § 121.311(b) to the extent requ ired for John Charles Walker Swarthout to be able to use an FAA Approved Chil d Restraint Sy stem even though he exceeds the weight limits for the CRS. In addition, if my petition is granted, I request that any air carrier or commercial operator o perating under part 121 while John is aboard its aircraft is granted an exemption from 14 CFR § 121.311(b)(2)(iii)(B) to the extent necessary to allow John to exceed the specified weight limit for an FAA

- approved child restraint s ys tem during use of that c hild restraint sy stem aboard an aircraft. I believe the pertinent section from 14 CFR part 121 from which we seek relief is Section 121.311 Seats, safet y belts, and shoulder harnesses. My son is six y ears old, weighs 56 pounds, and is 49 inches tall. My so n has an aut ism diagnosis and is severel y a ffected

. As a result of his ph ys ical condition, he needs the support and securit y provided b y an FAA Approved C hild Restraint, but because of his weight is incapable of compliance with the regulation. **I am also submitting the**  **following contact information:** Elizabeth Swarthout, 215 Winding Way , Horseheads NY 14845. My contact number is 607

- 739

- 1716 and m y email address is lizswarthout@stny.rr.com. I understand that the regulation is written to create a high leve l of safet y for each individual passenger b y ensuring that they are securel y restrained in their seats during all phases of flight. The regulation also ensures that an individual does not cause harm to other passengers on the airplane b y being thrown into them during turbulent or emergency conditions. I propose that John be allowed to occup y an FAA Approved Child Restraint (CARES, manufactured by

AmSafe, Inc.), even though he exceeds the manufacturer’s weight limits. This ensures a high level of safety for John and a high level of safet y for the other passengers and cre w on the airplane. In fact, in John ’s case, safety is greatly enhanced b y the extra support and securit y that the FAA Approved Restraint System will provide during the entire flight. Enhancing safety

for John is in the public interest. In addition, the public interest is also served by the fact that the use of this FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem allows him to use commercial air transportation. Without the support and security of the FAA Ap proved Child Restraint Sy stem, he would be unable to fl y commerciall y.I also believe that, with certain limitations established by the FAA in a grant to this petition, there can be an equivalent level of safet y to that provided by the affected regulation. The CARES restraint has been certified by the manufacturer for use by children 22

- 44 pounds. However, the components of the CARES restraint are the same as those used in restraints for adults on aircraft and would maintain their integrit y if used b y some one who weighed several hundred pounds. I believe that the limit of 44 pounds was established because, with the additional weight of the child attached to the seatback, the seatback would move forward more quickly in an accident scenario and this might cau se a higher HIC load for the person seated in the seat behind the passenger using the CARES restraint (because the seatback moving forward more quickly would mean that it would not be there to attenuate the energy from the impact of the person seated behin d the person using the CARES restraint). In order to achieve an equivalent level of safet y as that provided by the affected regulation, I propose that the FAA establish a limitation in a grant to this petition that John only sits in a passenger seat with n o passenger seated behind her. Therefore, no unsafe condition would exist for a passenger seated behind John while he is using the CARES restraint. I also propose that all operations under this exemption be conducted with at least one of John’s parents or a caregiver accompan yi ng him. In addition, Ipropose that John’s parent or caregiver must carry a copy of this exemption.
I also request that the processing of this petition not be delay ed for publication and comment in the Feder al Register. We want to travel on October 31, 2013 . If you take the time to put this in the Federal Register, it will delay the process and we may

not be able to travel in this timeframe. If it is necessary

to put a summary

in the Federal Register, I submit the following: This is a request for an exemption from FAR 121.311 (b) to the extent required for a child to use an FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem on an aircraft, even though the child exceeds the weight limits for the CRS. Due to phy sical challenges, without the support and securit y of this FAA Approved Child Restraint Sy stem, this child would be unable to fl y. We request that this child be allowed to occupy an FAA Approved Child Restraint (CARES, manufactured by AmSafe, Inc.), even though he exceeds the manufacturer’s weight limits of 44 pounds. In this case, the safet y of this child is greatl y enhanced by the extra support and security that the FAA Approved Restr aint S ys tem will provide for him during the flight. Thank you so much for your assistance. Sincerel y, Elizabeth Sw arthout