Document ID: FAA-2013-1041-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes; Electronic Flight Control System: Control Surface Awareness and Mode Annunciation
Posted Date: 2013-12-12T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 239 (Thursday, December 12, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 75511-75512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29685]

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 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 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.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 239 / Thursday, December 12, 2013 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 75511]]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No.FAA-2013-1041; Notice No. 25-13-40-SC]

Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc., Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-
500-1A11 Series Airplanes; Electronic Flight Control System: Control 
Surface Awareness and Mode Annunciation

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.

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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Bombardier 
Inc. Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. These 
airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature associated with 
control surface awareness and mode annunciation of the electronic 
flight control system. 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: Send your comments on or before January 27, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2013-1041 
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 9 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: Joe Jacobsen, FAA, Airplane and 
Flightcrew Interface Branch, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, 
Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, 
Washington 98057-3356; telephone 425-227-2011; facsimile 425-227-1149.

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 December 10, 2009, Bombardier Inc. applied for a type 
certificate for their new Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series 
airplanes (hereafter collectively referred to as ``C-series.'' The C-
series airplanes are swept-wing monoplanes with a pressurized cabin. 
They share an identical supplier base and significant common design 
elements. The fuselage is aluminum alloy material, blended double-
bubble fuselage, sized for nominal 5-abreast seating. Each airplane's 
powerplant consists of two under wing Pratt and Whitney PW1524G ultra-
high bypass, geared turbofan engines. Flight controls are fly-by-wire 
flight with two passive/uncoupled side sticks. Avionics includes five 
landscape primary cockpit displays. The dimension of the airplanes 
encompass a wingspan of 115 feet; a height of 37.75 feet; and a length 
of 114.75 feet for the Model BD-500-1A10 and a length of 127 feet for 
the Model BD-500-1A11. Passenger capacity is designated as 110 for the 
Model BD-500-1A10 and 125 for the Model BD-500-1A11. Maximum takeoff 
weight is 131,000 pounds for the Model BD-500-1A10 and 144,000 pounds 
for the Model BD-500-1A11. Maximum takeoff thrust is 21,000 pounds for 
the Model BD-500-1A10 and 23,300 pounds for the Model BD-500-1A11. 
Range is 3,394 miles (5,463 kilometers) for both models of airplanes. 
Maximum operating altitude is 41,000 feet for both model airplanes.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
21.17, Bombardier Inc. must show that the C-series airplanes meet the 
applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 25 as amended by Amendments 25-1 
through 25-129 thereto.
    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 C-series airplanes because of a 
novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed 
under the provisions of Sec.  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 or similar 
novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would also 
apply to the other model under Sec.  21.101.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special

[[Page 75512]]

conditions, the C-series airplanes must comply with the fuel vent and 
exhaust emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34 and the noise 
certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36, and the FAA must issue a 
finding of regulatory adequacy under section 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 Sec.  11.38, and they become part of the type-
certification basis under Sec.  21.17(a)(2).

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The C-series airplanes will incorporate the following novel or 
unusual design features: A fly-by-wire electronic flight control system 
(EFCS) and no direct coupling from the flightdeck controller to the 
control surface. As a result, the pilot is not aware of the actual 
control surface position as envisioned under current airworthiness 
standards.

Discussion

    These special conditions propose that the flightcrew receive a 
suitable flight control position annunciation when a flight condition 
exists in which nearly full surface authority (not crew-commanded) is 
being used. Suitability of such a display must take into account that 
some pilot-demanded maneuvers (e.g., rapid roll) are necessarily 
associated with intended full performance, which may saturate the 
surface. Therefore, simple alerting systems function in both intended 
and unexpected control-limiting situations. As a result, they must be 
properly balanced between providing necessary crew awareness and being 
a potential nuisance to the flightcrew. A monitoring system that 
compares airplane motion and surface deflection with the demand of the 
pilot side stick controller could help reduce nuisance alerting.
    These special conditions also address flight control system mode 
annunciation. It proposes suitable mode annunciation be provided to the 
flightcrew for events that significantly change the operating mode of 
the system but do not merit the classic ``failure warning.''
    These special conditions establish a level of safety equivalent to 
that provided by a conventional flight control system and existing 
regulations.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series airplanes. Should Bombardier 
Inc. 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 two model series of airplanes. 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 Bombardier Inc. Models BD-500-1A10 and BD-500-1A11 series 
airplanes.
    1. Electronic Flight Control System: Control Surface Awareness and 
Mode Annunciation. In addition to the requirements of Sec. Sec.  
25.143, 25.671, and 25.672, the following requirements apply:
    a. The system design must ensure that the flightcrew is made 
suitably aware whenever the primary control means nears the limit of 
control authority.
    Note: The term ``suitably aware'' indicates annunciations provided 
to the flightcrew are appropriately balanced between nuisance and that 
necessary for crew awareness.
    b. If the design of the flight control system has multiple modes of 
operation, a means must be provided to indicate to the flightcrew any 
mode that significantly changes or degrades the normal handling or 
operational characteristics of the airplane.

    Issued in Renton, Washington, on November 27, 2013.
John Piccola,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-29685 Filed 12-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P