Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/09/11/2015-22872/special-conditions-korea-aerospace-industries-ltd-model-k-100-full-authority-digital-engine-control
Timestamp: 2018-04-19 10:00:46
Document Index: 221259629

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009553', 'art 23', '§\u200923', '§\u200923', '§\u200923', '§\u200923', '§\u200923', '§\u200923', 'art 23', 'art 23', '§\u200921', 'art 34', 'art 36', '§\u2009611', '§\u2009553', 'art 33', '§\u200923', 'art 23', '§\u200923', 'art 33', 'art 23', 'art 33', 'art 23', 'art 23']

Federal Register :: Special Conditions: Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd., Model K-100; Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) System
A Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration on 09/11/2015
The effective date of these special conditions is September 11, 2015.
FAA-2015-3678
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-22872 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-22872
We must receive your comments by October 26, 2015.
Start Printed Page 54714
Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2015-3678 using any of the following methods:
☐ 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 of 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.
Jeff Pretz, Federal Aviation Administration, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, ACE-111, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, MO 64106; telephone (816) 329-3239, facsimile (816) 329-4090.
The FAA has determined, in accordance with 5 U.S. Code §§ 553(b)(3)(B) and 553(d)(3), that notice and opportunity for prior public comment hereon are unnecessary because the substance of this special condition has been subject to the public comment process in several prior instances with no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore finds that good cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon issuance.
On December 21, 2009, Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd., applied for a type certificate for their new Model KC-100 airplane. The KC-100 is a normal category single engine four passenger composite low wing airplane with a maximum takeoff weight of 3600 pounds. It has fixed tricycle landing gear and is designed for both Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations.
The KC-100 will use an electronic engine control system (FADEC) instead of a traditional mechanical control system. The engine control system will be certificated as part of the engine; however, the installation of an engine with an electronic control system requires evaluation due to critical environmental effects and possible effects on or by other airplane electronic systems, shared engine and airplane data and power sources.
The regulatory requirements in 14 CFR part 23 for evaluating the installation of complex systems, including electronic systems and critical environmental effects, are contained in § 23.1309. When § 23.1309 was developed, the use of electronic control systems for engines was not envisioned. Therefore, § 23.1309 requirements were not applicable to systems certificated as part of the engine (reference § 23.1309(f)(1)). Parts of the system that are not certificated with the engine could be evaluated using the criteria of § 23.1309. However, the integral nature of these systems makes it unfeasible to evaluate the airplane portion of the system without including the engine portion of the system. In some cases, the airplane that the engine is used in will require a higher classification than the engine controls are certificated for; requiring the FADEC system to be analyzed at a higher classification. As of November 2005, FADEC special conditions mandated the classification for § 23.1309 analyses for loss of FADEC control as catastrophic for any airplane using a FADEC. This is not to imply an engine failure is classified as catastrophic, but that the digital engine control must provide an equivalent reliability to mechanical engine controls.
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd., must show that the KC-100 meets the applicable provisions of part 23, as amended by amendment 23-1 through 23-59, thereto.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 23) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the KC-100 because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of § 21.16.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the KC-100 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 must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy under § 611 of Public Law 92-574, the Noise Control Act of 1972.
The KC-100 will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: an electronic engine control.
The Model KC-100 makes use of an electronic engine control system instead of a traditional mechanical control system, which is considered a novel design for this type of airplane. The applicable airworthiness regulations do Start Printed Page 54715not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. Maintaining a structured assessment to determine potential installation issues mitigates the concern that the addition of a full authority engine controller does not produce a failure condition not previously considered.
The special conditions are applicable to the KC-100. Should Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd., 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 also apply to that model as well.
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features on the KC-100. It is not a rule of general applicability and affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of these features on the airplane.
The substance of these special conditions has been subjected to the notice and comment period in several prior instances and has been derived without substantive change from those previously issued. It is unlikely that prior public comment would result in a significant change from the substance contained herein. Therefore, notice and opportunity for prior public comment hereon are unnecessary and the FAA finds good cause, in accordance with 5 U.S. Code §§ 553(b)(3)(B) and 553(d)(3), making these special conditions effective upon issuance. The FAA is requesting comments to allow interested persons to submit views that may not have been submitted in response to the prior opportunities for comment described above.
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of the type certification basis for Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd., Model KC-100 airplanes.
a. For electronic engine control system installations, it must be established that no single failure or malfunction or probable combinations of failures of Electronic Engine Control (EEC) system components will have an effect on the system, as installed in the airplane, that causes the Loss of Thrust Control (LOTC)/Loss of Power Control (LOPC) probability of the system to exceed those allowed in part 33 certification.
b. EEC system installations must be evaluated for environmental and atmospheric conditions, including lightning. The EEC system lightning and high intensity radiated frequency effects that result during an LOTC/LOPC should be considered catastrophic.
d. Functions incorporated into any EEC that make it part of any equipment, system or installation having functions beyond that of basic engine control, and may also introduce system failures and malfunctions, are not exempt from § 23.1309 and must be shown to meet part 23 levels of safety as derived from § 23.1309. Part 33 certification data, if applicable, may be used to show compliance with any part 23 requirements. If part 33 data is to be used to substantiate compliance with part 23 requirements, then the part 23 applicant must be able to provide this data for their showing of compliance.
The term “probable” in the context of “probable combination of failures” does not have the same meaning as in AC 23.13091D. The term “probable” in “probable combination of failures” means “foreseeable,” or not “extremely improbable,” as referenced in AC 23.1309-1D.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri on August 28, 2015.
[FR Doc. 2015-22872 Filed 9-10-15; 8:45 am]