Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2005/09/21/05-18806/flightdeck-door-monitoring-and-crew-discreet-alerting-systems
Timestamp: 2018-03-23 12:43:54
Document Index: 192988003

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 121', 'art 121', 'arts 91', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', 'art 121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', 'art 121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121']

Federal Register :: Flightdeck Door Monitoring and Crew Discreet Alerting Systems
A Proposed Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration on 09/21/2005
70 FR 55491
55491-55498 (8 pages)
05-18806
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/05-18806 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/05-18806
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 55492
(2) Visiting the FAA's Regulations and Policies Web page at http://www.faa.gov/​regulations Web page at; or
On September 16, the Secretary of Transportation announced the creation of two rapid-response teams (RRT) to develop recommendations for improving security within the national aviation system. One team was tasked to develop recommendations to improve security at the Nation's airports; the other team was tasked to develop recommendations for aircraft integrity Start Printed Page 55493and security, with a specific focus on cockpit access.
13.2.1 In all aeroplanes which are equipped with a flight crew compartment door, this door shall be capable of being locked, and means shall be provided by which cabin crew can discreetly notify the flight crew in the event of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin.
13.2.2 From 1 November 2003, all passenger-carrying airplanes of a maximum certificated take-off weight mass in excess of 45500 kg or with a passenger seating capacity greater than 60 shall be equipped with an approved flight crew compartment door that is designed to resist penetration by small arms fire and grenade shrapnel, and to resist forcible intrusions by unauthorized persons. This door shall be capable of being locked and unlocked from either pilot's station.
13.2.3 In all aeroplanes which are equipped with a flight crew compartment door in accordance with 13.2.2:
The proposed rule addresses the ICAO standard. The ICAO standard applies to all passenger-carrying airplanes of a maximum certificated take-off mass in excess of 45,500 kg (approximately 100,309 lbs) or with a passenger seating capacity greater than 60 involved in international commercial air transport. This proposed rule applies only to passenger-carrying operations conducted under part 121 that require a lockable door between the cockpit and passenger compartment. Neither the ICAO standard nor this proposed rule will apply to all-cargo operations. Additionally, part 121 operations do not encompass all passenger-carrying airplanes with a maximum certificated take-off mass in excess of 45500 Kg (the ICAO standard) operated in the U.S. Start Printed Page 55494Accordingly, since some airplanes may operate both domestically and internationally under other operational rules (e.g., parts 91, 125 and 135), the U.S. will not fully comply with the ICAO standard.
In proposed § 121.313(k), the use of the phrase “a means to monitor from the flightdeck side of the door” permits at least two methods to comply with the proposed rule, covering monitoring from the flightdeck. The first method is a video system. The video system would transmit video images to a monitor or monitors appropriately situated on the flightdeck to allow viewing of the area outside the flightdeck (herein referred to the “door area”) from the flightdeck side of the door. A crewmember would provide audio confirmation to the flightcrew that the door area is clear, including confirmation that the lavatory is clear. A second method would involve visual identification of the door area, coupled with an audio confirmation procedure. Through a viewing device installed in the flightdeck door, one person on the flightdeck would view the door area and identify the person seeking access. Then a crewmember would provide audio confirmation that the door area is clear while viewing the outside door area. For example, before providing audio confirmation to the flightdeck, the crewmember would (1) assure that no passengers are standing near the door area, and (2) that no passenger is in any forward lavatory.
Proposed § 121.582 would heighten security requirements by giving the cabin crew a means to discreetly notify the flightcrew of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin. The FAA agrees with the ICAO position that discreet notification of the flightcrew should be provided. The FAA believes that current, on board communication crew alert systems could, along with FAA-approved operator-developed procedures, meet this requirement. For example, subtly keying the interphone in a specific manner could be used. The rule would also allow the use of more sophisticated technology, such as hands-free, wireless method as considered by Congress in the Homeland Security Act. However, any installed system must protect against false alarms or nuisance alerts that would make the system unreliable.
While an airplane is moving for purposes of a flight segment, proposed § 121.584 requires part 121 operators to keep the flightdeck door locked and closed unless an authorized person uses a device and procedure required by § 121.313(k) to view the area outside the flightdeck compartment door. In proposed § 121.584(a), the phrase “airplane moves in order to initiate a flight segment” includes movement under its own power or if the airplane is being moved by another device for example, a tug. In proposed § 121.584(a)(1), the phrase “a person authorized to be on the flightdeck” is anyone who obtained access to the flightdeck pursuant to § 121.547. Proposed § 121.584(a)(2) requires that the procedures in § 121.584(a)(1)(i) and (ii) be satisfactorily accomplished before the crewmember in charge of the flightdeck authorizes the door to be unlocked and opened. In proposed § 121.584(a)(2), the phrase “the crewmember in charge” means the flightcrew member in charge of the flightdeck at the time the door is opened, which may be the first officer if the pilot-in-command is not on the flightdeck. It is the FAA's intent to meet the ICAO standard that requires monitoring the area outside the flightdeck door by permitting the use of a peep hole to view a large area outside the flightdeck door in conjunction with the audio confirmation, for example, from a crewmember who is outside the flightdeck and who can observe that the flightdeck door area is secure.
Proposed § 121.584(a) requires every certificate holder operating under part 121 to implement this rule at the time the final rule is published if the operator already has the means to monitor the area outside the flightdeck door as required by proposed § 121.313(k) (such as a peephole). The FAA has determined there is no reason to delay the security benefits of this operating rule for operators that can meet the rule at the time of final rule publication. Operators of airplanes that currently do not have a means to monitor the area outside the flightdeck door, have 2 years from the date the final rule is published to install such devices (such as a video system). But during that 2-year period, once an airplane is equipped with a means to monitor the area outside the flightdeck, then the certificate holder and the crewmembers must comply with proposed section 121.584(a) when operating that airplane.
The FAA considers adopting and maintaining coordinated standards between the United States and its counterparts to be a high priority. The FAA is working informally with the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation to ensure the proposed rulemakings on flightdeck door monitoring and crew alerting systems are similarly worded and have the same requirements. On August 1, 2003, the JAA published Amendment 6 to JAR-OPS 1, Commercial Air Transportation (Aeroplanes). This amendment requires a means or procedure by which the cabin crew can notify the flightcrew in the event of suspicious activity or security breaches in the cabin. Additionally, the JAA is finalizing a separate amendment to JAR-OPS 1 that, Start Printed Page 55495like this proposed rule, requires monitoring of the door area outside the flight crew compartment.
Based on numbers developed at the end of 2003, the proposed rule would affect 6,190 airplanes (4,487 turbojets, 1,203 regional jets, and 500 large (>20 seats) turboprops). If a final rule were issued on January 1, 2004, the 2-year compliance period would allow 550 of these airplanes to be retired in 2004 and 2005 and not be retrofitted, resulting in 5,640 retrofitted airplanes. Further, 4,360 airplanes that are projected to be manufactured between 2004 and 2013 would have these systems installed as original operating equipment.
The system would add between 12 and 17 pounds to an airplane's weight, which would increase average annual per airplane fuel consumption between 68 and 328 gallons. Using a price of Start Printed Page 55496$0.80 per gallon, the FAA calculates the total additional fuel cost to be $14 million between 2004 and 2014, which has a present value of $9 million.
Install on Future Production Airplanes $64.0 $44.0
Retrofit on Existing Airplanes 102.0 92.0
System Maintenance 5.5 3.5
Fuel Consumption 14.0 9.0
Total 185.5 148.5
Future production airplanes cost
Retrofitting airplanes cost
2004 $5.675 $33.750 $0.481 $39.906 $37.295
2005 6.290 68.523 1.089 75.902 66.309
2006 6.126 0.000 1.616 7.742 6.343
2007 6.863 0.000 1.824 8.687 6.656
2008 6.379 0.000 1.889 8.268 5.922
2009 6.192 0.000 1.949 9.141 5.452
2010 5.766 0.000 2.007 7.773 4.867
2011 6.089 0.000 2.066 8.155 4.772
2012 5.462 0.000 2.130 7.592 4.153
2013 4.542 0.000 2.196 6.738 3.449
2014 4.399 0.000 2.261 6.660 2.812
Total 63.783 102.273 19.508 186.564 148.030
The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA) establishes “as a principle of regulatory issuance that agencies shall endeavor, consistent with the objective of the rule and of applicable statutes, to fit regulatory and informational requirements to the scale of the businesses, organizations, and governmental jurisdictions subject to regulation.” To achieve that principle, the RFA requires agencies to solicit and consider flexible regulatory proposals Start Printed Page 55497and to explain the rationale for their actions. The RFA covers a wide-range of small entities, including small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and small governmental jurisdictions.
The energy impact of this proposal has been assessed in accordance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) Public Law 94-163, as amended (42 U.S.C. Section 6362) and FAA Order 1053.1. It has been determined that this proposal is not a major regulatory action under the provisions of the EPCA.
3. Add new § 121.582 as follows:
Means to discreetly notify a flightcrew.
4. Add new § 121.584 as follows:
§ 121.584
Requirement to view the area outside the flightdeck door.
(a) From the time the airplane moves in order to initiate a flight segment through the end of that flight segment, Start Printed Page 55498no person may unlock or open the flightdeck door unless:
(b) Before (insert date 2 years after final rule publication date) paragraph (a) applies only to the operation of an airplane that is equipped with a means to monitor the flightdeck door area as required by § 121.313(k).