Document ID: FAA-2022-0532-0001
Agency: faa
Document Type: Proposed Rule
Title: Special Conditions: Airbus A320 200 Series Model A320 251N, 252N, 253N, 271N, -272N, -273N Airplanes and A321 200 Series Model A321 251NX, 252NX, 253NX, 271NX, 272NX Airplanes; Flight Attendant Seat Mounted on Movable Interior Structure
Posted Date: 2022-10-17T04:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 199 (Monday, October 17, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 62739-62741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-22494]

 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 199 / Monday, October 17, 2022 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 62739]]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2022-0532; Notice No. 25-22-03-SC]

Special Conditions: Airbus A320-200 Series Model A320-251N, -
252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, -273N Airplanes and A321-200 Series Model 
A321-251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -271NX, -272NX Airplanes; Flight Attendant 
Seat Mounted on Movable Interior Structure

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.

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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Airbus A320-
200 Series Model -251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, -273N (known as 
A320neo) airplanes and A321-200 Series Model -251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -
271NX, -272NX (known as A321neo) airplanes. The airplanes will have a 
novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of 
technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport 
category airplanes. This design feature is flight attendant seats 
mounted on movable lavatory doors. 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 comments on or before December 1, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-0532 using 
any of the following methods:
     Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to https://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: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as 
described in the following paragraph, and other information as 
described in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), Sec.  
11.35, the FAA will post all comments received without change to 
https://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal information you 
provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive 
verbal contact received about these special conditions.
    Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business 
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both 
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the 
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from 
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to these special 
conditions contain commercial or financial information that is 
customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and 
that is relevant or responsive to these special conditions, it is 
important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. 
Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.'' 
The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the 
FOIA, and the indicated comments will not be placed in the public 
docket of these special conditions. Send submissions containing CBI to 
the Information Contact below. Comments the FAA receives, which are not 
specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for 
these special conditions.
    Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at 
https://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online 
instructions for accessing the docket or go 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Lennon, Human Machine 
Interface, AIR-626, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and 
Innovation Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198; 
telephone and fax 206-231-3209; email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    The FAA invites 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.
    The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for 
comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the 
comments received.

Background

    On October 27, 2020, Airbus SAS applied for a change to Type 
Certificate No. A28NM for flight attendant seats mounted on movable 
lavatory doors in A320-200 Series Model A320-251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, 
-272N, and -273N (known as A320neo) airplanes and A321-200 Series Model 
A321-251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -271NX, and -272NX (known as A321neo) 
airplanes. These airplanes are twin-engine, transport category 
airplanes. The A320neo has a maximum passenger seating capacity of 179 
and the A321neo has a maximum passenger seating capacity of 244.
    The applicable airworthiness requirements do not contain adequate 
or appropriate safety standards for this new lavatory door-mounted 
flight attendant seat. Section 25.785 of title 14, Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) specifies certain requirements for flight 
attendant seats but did not consider flight attendant seats mounted on 
movable structure such as lavatory doors and, therefore, does not

[[Page 62740]]

specifically address additional concerns associated with ensuring the 
flight attendant seats are safe to occupy when necessary. Therefore, 
special conditions are necessary to establish a level of safety 
equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 
CFR), Sec.  21.101, Airbus must show that the A320neo and A321neo 
airplanes, as changed, continue to meet the applicable provisions of 
the regulations listed in Type Certificate No. A28NM or the applicable 
regulations in effect on the date of application for the change, except 
for earlier amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
    If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness 
regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the Airbus A320neo and A321neo 
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 novel or 
unusual design feature, or should any other model already included on 
the same type certificate be modified to incorporate the same novel or 
unusual design feature, these special conditions would also apply to 
the other model under Sec.  21.101.
    In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special 
conditions, the Airbus A320neo and A321neo 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.
    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.  21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The Airbus A320neo and A321neo airplanes will incorporate the 
following novel or unusual design features:
    Flight attendant seats mounted on movable lavatory doors.

Discussion

    Airbus will install, in A320neo and A321neo airplanes, flight 
attendant seats on lavatory doors. The lavatory door-mounted flight 
attendant seat is intended to be occupied during all phases of flight, 
including takeoff and landing.
    Flight attendant seats are typically floor-mounted or wall-mounted 
on a non-movable structure (e.g., mounted on monument walls) which is 
attached to the airplane structure. The installation of a flight 
attendant seat on movable structure, such as a lavatory door, 
introduces certain issues that must be addressed to ensure safety of 
the attendant seat occupant. Such considerations include ensuring that 
the lavatory door is closed (fixed) when the flight attendant seat is 
to be occupied and ensuring that the lavatory door lock mechanism is 
reliable after frequent use of the lavatory door. Additionally, the 
lavatory door, door locking mechanism, and door housing will need to 
withstand certain loading conditions as that structure is part of the 
load path between seat structure and airplane structure.
    Other issues include ensuring that the flight attendant seat is 
available to use when necessary, which requires a way to ensure the 
lavatory is not occupied when the flight attendant seat must be 
occupied. Also, additional maintenance requirements will need to be 
considered to establish the reliability of the lavatory door locking 
mechanism, as it is a feature that will be frequently used.
    The 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.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
A320 Series Model -251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, -273N (known as 
A320neo) and A321 Series Model -251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -271NX, -272NX 
(known as A321neo) airplanes. Should Airbus apply at a later date for a 
change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating 
the same novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions 
would apply to that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature 
on A320 Series Model -251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -272N, -273N (known as 
A320neo) and A321 Series Model -251NX, -252NX, -253NX, -271NX, -272NX 
(known as A321neo) airplanes. It is not a rule of general 
applicability.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

Authority Citation

    The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.

The Proposed Special Conditions

    [ssquf] Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
proposes the following special conditions as part of the type 
certification basis for A320 Series Model -251N, -252N, -253N, -271N, -
272N, -273N (known as A320neo) and A321 Series Model -251NX, -252NX, -
253NX, -271NX, -272NX (known as A321neo).
    (a) The lavatory door-mounted flight attendant seat-system primary 
load path, including the flight attendant seat, seat attachment means, 
the lavatory door, and lavatory door attachment to the lavatory 
housing--including the locking mechanism--must be shown to be capable 
of withstanding the emergency landing dynamic loads in accordance with 
Sec.  25.562. The lavatory housing and the lavatory attachment to the 
airplane structure must comply with the requirements of Sec.  25.561.
    (b) Means must be provided to ensure that the flight attendant seat 
can only be used if the lavatory door is securely locked in the closed 
position.
    (1) The procedures for establishing that the lavatory door is 
closed and locked prior to use of the flight attendant seat must become 
part of the cabin crew training.
    (2) The effects of structural deformation of the lavatory door and 
lavatory door housing must be addressed to prevent unlocking or failure 
of the locking mechanism.
    (c) Means must be provided to ensure that the lavatory is not 
occupied so that the flight attendant seat is available when necessary.
    (d) Means must be provided to ensure that no one is inadvertently 
trapped inside the lavatory when the lavatory door is locked to 
facilitate use of the flight attendant seat.
    (e) The lavatory door locking mechanism must be shown to withstand 
frequent use. Potential deterioration of moving parts must be addressed 
to show that the locking mechanism is reliable within its established 
life cycle. Accordingly, instructions for continued airworthiness must 
also be defined for the locking mechanism.

[[Page 62741]]

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 11, 2022.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation 
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2022-22494 Filed 10-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P