13862 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 14, 1995 / Proposed Rules

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Parts 121, 125, and 135

[Docket No. 28109, Notice No. 95–4]

Increased Flight Data Recorder

Parameters

AGENCY: Federal Aviation

Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and

request for comments.

SUMMARY: The FAA is soliciting

comments from the public, aircraft

manufacturers and operators, and

manufacturers of flight data recorders

(FDR’s) on the recent recommendations

issued by the National Transportation

Safety Board (NTSB) on increased FDR

parameters. The FAA seeks comment on

any aspect of the NTSB

recommendations, including the

potential safety benefits and financial

costs for each of the NTSB

recommendations. Comments received

on the recommendations will assist the

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

in preparing potential regulatory action

and in analyzing specific exceptions or

alternatives that should be considered.

DATES: Comments must be received on

or before March 31, 1995.

A public meeting to discuss the NTSB

recommendations will be held on April

20, 1995, starting at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: Comments on the NTSB

recommendations discussed in this

document should be mailed or

delivered, in triplicate, to: Federal

Aviation Administration, Attention:

Rules Docket (AGC–200), 800

Independence Ave., SW., Washington,

DC 20591. Comments must be marked:

Docket No. 28109. Comments may also

be sent electronically to the following

Internet address:

nprmcmts@mail.hq.faa.gov. Comments

may be examined in room 915G

weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.,

except Federal holidays.

The public meeting will be held at the

FAA National Headquarters, 800

Independence Ave., SW., Washington,

DC 20591.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests to present a statement at the

meeting or questions regarding the

logistics of the meeting should be

directed to Jeanne Trapani, Office of

Rulemaking, 800 Independence Avenue,

SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone

(202) 267–7624.

Questions concerning the subject

matter of the meeting should be directed

to Frank Rock, Technical Analysis

Branch (AIR–120), Aircraft Certification

Service, Federal Aviation

Administration, 800 Independence

Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591,

Telephone (202) 267–9567.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Participation at the Meeting

Requests from persons who wish to

present oral statements at the public

meeting should be received by the FAA

no later than April 15, 1995. Such

requests should be submitted to Jeanne

Trapani at the address listed in the

section entitled FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT and should

include a written summary of oral

remarks to be presented. Requests

received after the date specified above

will be scheduled if time is available

during the meeting; however, the name

of those individuals may not appear on

the written agenda for the public

meeting.

The FAA will prepare an agenda of

speakers who will be available at the

meeting. Every effort will be made to

accommodate as many speakers as

possible. The amount of time allocated

to each speaker may be less than the

amount of time requested.

Background

On February 22, 1995, the NTSB

issued three recommendations to the

FAA as a result of its investigation of

accidents and incidents that, in the

opinion of the NTSB, have

demonstrated that more information

about flight control parameters should

be recorded by FDR’s. A copy of the

NTSB Safety Recommendation letter of

February 22, 1995, has been placed in

the FAA docket. Contrasting accident/

incident data involving airplanes with

5- and 128-parameter FDR’s, the NTSB

indicated that investigations were

greatly aided by the availability of

enhanced recorded information. The

NTSB recommended that the FAA

require operators to retrofit certain

airplanes currently in operation with

enhanced FDR’s and require certain

enhanced FDR’s on newlymanufactured airplanes. The NTSB also

issued recommendations to operators

and manufacturers of aircraft operated

under parts 121, 125, and 135. However,

these recommendations will not be

addressed at the public meeting. See

attachment A of NTSB Safety

Recommendation letter dated February

22, 1995.

The NTSB stated that among the

additional flight control parameters that

are needed are parameters that pertain

to the flight control inputs and control

surface positions. Acknowledging that

the cost of increasing the recorded

parameters on FDR’s would necessitate

a significant monetary investment, the

NTSB stated that public safety

outweighs the costs.

With this notice, the FAA is soliciting

comments on the following NTSB

recommendations:

Require that each Boeing 737 airplane

operated under 14 CFR parts 121 or 125 be

equipped, by December 31, 1995, with a

flight data recorder system that records, as a

minimum, the parameters required by

current regulations applicable to that

airplane plus the following parameters

(recorded at the sampling rates specified in

‘‘Proposed Minimum FDR Parameter

Requirements for Airplanes in Service’’ [see

Table 1 below]): lateral acceleration; flight

control inputs for pitch, roll, and yaw; and

primary flight control surface positions for

pitch, roll, and yaw.

Amend, by December 31, 1995, 14 CFR

121.343, 125.225, and 135.152 to require that

Boeing 727 airplanes, Lockheed L–1011

airplanes, and all transport category airplanes

operated under 14 CFR parts 121, 125, or 135

whose type certificate applies to airplanes

still in production, be equipped to record on

a flight data recorder system, as a minimum,

the parameters listed in ‘‘Proposed Minimum

FDR Parameter Requirements for Airplanes

in Service’’ plus any other parameters

required by current regulations applicable to

each individual airplane. Specify that the

airplanes be so equipped by January 1, 1998,

or by the later date when they meet Stage 3

noise requirements but, regardless of Stage 3

compliance status, no later than December

31, 1999.

Amend, by December 31, 1995, 14 CFR

121.343, 125.225, and 135.152 to require that

all airplanes operated under 14 CFR parts

121, 125, or 135 (10 seats or larger), for which

an original airworthiness certificate is

received after December 31, 1996, record the

parameters listed in ‘‘Proposed FDR

Enhancements for Newly Manufactured

Airplanes’’ [see Table 2 below] on a flight

data recorder having at least 25-hour

recording capacity.

The FAA requests that commenters be

specific and provide as much factual

detail in comments as possible. Cost

information is also particularly

requested.

Because of the time frame

recommended by the NTSB and the date

of the public meeting, the FAA requests

that commenters be timely in their

response. All comments received will be

available, both before and after the

closing date for comments, in the Rules

Docket.

The FAA anticipates that comments

provided in response to this notice will

assist the agency in responding to the

NTSB recommendations.

Meeting Procedures

The following procedures are

established to facilitate the meeting:
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 14, 1995 / Proposed Rules 13863

(1) There will be no admission fee or

other charge to attend or to participate

in the meeting. The opportunity to

speak will be available to all persons

who have requested in advance to

present statements or who register on

the day of the meeting subject to

availability of space in the meeting

room.

(2) There will be morning, lunch, and

afternoon breaks.

(3) The meeting may adjourn early if

scheduled speakers complete their

statements in less time than is

scheduled for the meeting.

(4) An individual, whether speaking

in a personal or a representative

capacity on behalf of an organization,

may be limited to a 10-minute

statement. If possible, we will notify the

speaker if additional time is available.

(5) The FAA will try to accommodate

all speakers. If the available time does

not permit this, speakers generally will

be scheduled on a first-come-first-served

basis. However, the FAA reserves the

right to exclude some speakers if

necessary to present a balance of

viewpoints and issues.

(6) Sign and oral interpretation may

be made available at the meeting, as

well as an assistive listening device, if

requested at least 10 calendar days

before the meeting.

(7) Representatives of the FAA will

preside over the meeting. A panel of

FAA personnel involved in this issue

will be present.

(8) The meeting will be recorded by

a court reporter. A transcript of the

meeting and any material accepted by

the panel during the meeting will be

included in the public docket. Any

person who is interested in purchasing

a copy of the transcript should contact

the court reporter directly.

(9) The FAA will review and consider

all material presented by participants at

the meeting. Position papers or material

presenting views or information related

to the FDR’s may be accepted at the

discretion of the presiding officer and

subsequently placed in the public

docket. The FAA requests that persons

participating in the meeting provide 10

copies of all materials to be presented

for distribution to the panel members;

other copies may be provided to the

audience at the discretion of the

participant.

(10) Statements made by members of

the meeting panel are intended to

facilitate discussion of the issues or to

clarify issues. Any statement made

during the meeting by a member of the

panel is not intended to be, and should

not be construed as, a position of the

FAA.

(11) The meeting is designed to solicit

public views and more complete

information. Therefore, the meeting will

be conducted in an informal and

nonadversarial manner. No individual

will be subject to cross-examination by

any other participant; however, panel

members may ask questions to clarify a

statement and to ensure a complete and

accurate record.

(12) Speakers are encouraged, before

the meeting, to review the comments

received in the docket, providing them

an opportunity to express their view at

the meeting on the comments in the

docket, as well as present any additional

comments.

Table 1.—Proposed Minimum FDR

Parameter Requirements for Airplanes in Service (from Attachment A, NTSB Safety Recommendation, February 22,

1995)

Proposed Minimum Parameters:

1. Altitude

2. Airspeed

3. Vertical acceleration

4. Heading

5. Time of each radio transmission to air

traffic control

6. Pitch attitude

7. Roll attitude

8. Longitudinal acceleration

9. Pitch trim position*

10. Yaw trim position**

11. Roll trim position**

12. Control column and pitch control

surface position**

13. control wheel and lateral control surface position**

14. Rudder pedal and yaw control surface position**

15. Thrust of each engine

16. Position of each thrust reverser (or

equivalent for propeller airplane)*

17. Trailing edge flap or cockpit flap control position*

18. Leading edge flap or cockpit flap control position*

19. Ground spoiler position/speed brake

selection**

20. angle of attack (when information

source is available)**

21. Lateral acceleration**

22. Autopilot engagement status**

23. Automatic Flight Control System

(AFCS) modes and engagement

status**

24. Outside or total air temperature**

(*) Indicates a new or changed parameter

relative to the current 11-parameter requirement. (**) Indicates a new or changed parameter relative to the current 17-parameter

requirement.

Table 2.—Proposed FDR Enhancements for Newly Manufactured

Airplanes (from Attachment B of

the NTSB Safety Recommendation, February 22, 1995).

Acceleration Parameters:

Vertical

Lateral

Longitudinal

Airplane Performance/Position Parameters:

Altitude

Airspeed

Air/ground sensor (primary airplane systems reference, nose or main gear)

Brake pressure and pedal position

Drift angle (when an information source

is installed)

Ground speed (when an information

source is installed)

Wind speed and direction (when an information source is installed)

Outside air temperature or total air temperature

Radio altitude (when an information

source is installed)

Latitude and longitude (when an information source is installed)

Airplane Attitude Parameters:

Angle of attack left and right (when an

information source is installed)

Pitch

Roll

Magnetic heading

True heading (when an information

source is installed, sampled 1 per 4

seconds)

Yaw or sideslip angle (when an information source is installed)

Flight Controls Position and Input Parameters:

All control surface positions—primary

controls (pitch, roll, and yaw)

All cockpit flight control input positions

and forces (control wheel, control column, rudder pedal)

(sidestick controllers on fly-by-wire

systems)

All trim surface positions—primary controls (pitch, roll, and yaw)

All cockpit trim control input positions—

primary controls (pitch, roll, and yaw)

Thrust/power—primary flightcrew reference (may require multiple parameters for all phases of flight)

Throttle/power lever position

Thrust reverser status (i.e., stow, transit,

deployed, reverse pitch)

Thrust command (when an information

source is installed)

Thrust target (when an information

source is installed)

Engine bleed valve position (when an information source is installed)

Airplane Configuration Parameters:

Flap position (trailing and leading edge)

Spoiler position (ground and speed

brake)

Spoiler/speed brake cockpit selection/status (armed—ground spoiler)

Flap cockpit control selection

Landing gear position

Landing gear cockpit control selection

De-icing or anti-icing system selection

(when an information source is installed, sampled 1 per 4 seconds)
13864 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 49 / Tuesday, March 14, 1995 / Proposed Rules

Table 2.—Proposed FDR Enhancements for Newly Manufactured

Airplanes (from Attachment B of

the NTSB Safety Recommendation, February 22, 1995).—Continued

Fuel quantity in CG trim tank (when an

information source is installed)

Computed center of gravity (when an information source is installed)

AC electrical bus status

DC electrical bus status

APU bleed valve position

Hydraulic pressure (all systems)

Navigation Aids:

Localizer deviation

Glideslope deviation

DME 1 and 2 distances

Nav 1 and 2 selected frequency

GPS position data (when an information

source is installed)

Marker beacon passage

Autopilot Parameters:

Engagement status (all systems)

AFCS modes and engagement status

Timing:

Radio transmitter keying

UTC (when an information source is installed)

Table 2.—Proposed FDR Enhancements for Newly Manufactured

Airplanes (from Attachment B of

the NTSB Safety Recommendation, February 22, 1995).—Continued

Recorder elapsed time (frame counter, 0

to 4095)

CVR/DFDR synchronization reference

(when an information source is installed)

Event marker

Warning Parameters:

GPWS

Hydraulic pressure low (each system)

Master warning

Loss of cabin pressure

TCAS—TA, RA, and sensitivity (as selected by crew)

Icing (when an information source is installed)

Engine warnings each engine—

Vibration (when an information source

is installed)

Over temp. (when an information

source is installed)

Oil pressure low (when an information

source is installed)

Over speed (when an information

source is installed)

Windshear (when an information source

is installed)

Computer failure

Stick shacker/pusher (when an information source is installed)

Manual/Automatic Selected Parameters:

Selected barometric setting

Selected speed

Selected vertical speed

Selected heading

Selected flight path

Selected decision height

EFIS display format

Head-up display (when an information

source is installed)

Para-visual display (when an information

source is installed)

Multi-function/engine/alerts display format

Issued in Washington, DC on March 8,

1995.

Anthony J. Broderick,

Associate Administrator for Regulation and

Certification.

[FR Doc. 95–6274 Filed 3–13–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–M