Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2001/10/17/01-26204/flightcrew-compartment-access-and-door-designs
Timestamp: 2017-09-25 21:43:04
Document Index: 366883577

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009121', 'art 121', '§\u2009121', 'art 121', 'art 119', 'art 121', '§\u2009121', '§\u2009121']

This action is effective October 17, 2001 and shall remain in effect until April 9, 2003.
52833-52837 (5 pages)
SFAR 92-1
SPECIAL FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATION NO. 92-1—FLIGHTCREW COMPARTMENT ACCESS AND DOOR DESIGNS
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/01-26204 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/01-26204
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 52834
This action supersedes SFAR 92 which was published October 9, 2001, by allowing certain air carriers to quickly modify the flightcrew compartment door to delay or deter unauthorized entry to the flightcrew compartment. This action temporarily authorizes variances from existing design standards for the doors and allows for approval for return to service of modified airplanes without prior approved data if the modification constitutes a major alteration. This action prohibits the possession of flightdeck compartment door keys by other than the flightcrew during flight. This action is being taken in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against four U.S. commercial airplanes.
The Rapid Response Team addressed the design issues and found the relative safety risks to be small in view of the emergent security risk of unauthorized flightcrew compartment entry. The FAA agrees with this conclusion. The Rapid Start Printed Page 52835Response Team report also concluded, and the FAA agrees, that all existing design requirements should continue to be applied in the long term. Therefore, this SFAR allows a temporary period during which non-compliance with design requirements will be allowed when improvements to flightcrew compartment security are made. This relief is limited to 18 months, at which time the modified airplane must be brought back into full compliance with all design requirements. Airlines will submit reports within 180 days of the publication of the SFAR on how they will achieve this compliance.
Given the urgency of the need to take action to reinforce the flightcrew compartment doors, the FAA finds that it is in the public interest to forgo the requirement that major alterations to accomplish this task have data previously approved by the Administrator. This portion of the SFAR is limited to 6 months. Major alterations performed after that date must be in accordance with approved data, and whatever the airline installs in the short term must ultimately be brought into full regulatory compliance for emergency egress and venting.
The SFAR requires reports to the FAA at 90 days and 180 days after the publication date of the SFAR, so the modifications can be monitored and corrective action taken if necessary. Because of the risk posed by having other than flightcrew members onboard the aircraft as allowed in § 121.583, FedEx on October 10, 2001, petitioned the FAA to take actions necessary to allow it to install additional door security measures in accordance with the provisions of SFAR 92 (66 FR 51546, October 9, 2001). The FAA has determined that the modifications requested by FedEx would apply to similarly situated cargo airplane operators and that the threat is similar to that of passenger airplanes.
The revised SFAR allows all air carriers under part 121 to install flightcrew compartment door improvements and to prohibit possession of flightcrew compartment keys by persons other than flight crewmembers during flight. It is very broad, to allow maximum short-term flexibility in crafting enhanced door security measures. It allows the doors to be modified and airplanes to be operated with modified doors.
In addition to the above changes to harden the flightcrew compartment doors against intruders, the FAA also believes it is prudent to eliminate the ability of intruders to gain access by obtaining a flight attendant's key. For that reason, this SFAR temporarily changes the requirement in § 121.313(g) by stating that only flight crewmembers, and not cabin crewmembers, will have flight crew compartment keys during flight. This should lessen the opportunity for gaining unauthorized access and reduce the likelihood of attacks on flight attendants to obtain the key. The limitations on keys do not apply to cargo operators because flight attendants are only required on passenger airplanes. Note that this change to 121.313(g) will expire with this SFAR. Further rulemaking will be necessary to address this subject after expiration.
In keeping with U.S. obligations under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, it is FAA policy to comply with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices to the maximum extent practicable. The FAA determined that there are no ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices that correspond to this SFAR.Start Printed Page 52836
This emergency final SFAR contains information collection activities subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)). In accordance with section 3507(j)(1)(B) of that statute, the FAA is requesting the Office of Management and Budget to grant an immediate emergency clearance on the paperwork package that it is submitting. As protection provided by the Paperwork Reduction Act, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Therefore, notification will be made to the public when a clearance is received. Following is a summary of the information collection activity.
Respondents: The respondents are an estimated 135 airplane operators covered under 14 CFR part 121.
SFAR No. 92
2. Remove Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 92.
3. Add Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) No. 92-1 to read as follows:
1. Applicability. This Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) applies to all operators that hold an air carrier certificate or operating certificate issued under 14 CFR part 119 and that conduct operations under part 121, except paragraph 4 of this SFAR does not apply to cargo operations. It applies to the operators specified in this SFAR that modify airplanes to improve the flightcrew compartment door installations to restrict the unwanted entry of persons into the flightcrew compartment. This SFAR also applies to production certificate holders and applicants for airworthiness certificates for airplanes to be operated by operators specified in this SFAR, and producers of parts to be used in such modifications.
(ii) Within 180 days after publication of this SFAR, submit to the Director, Start Printed Page 52837Aircraft Certification Service, a schedule for accomplishment of the changes necessary to restore compliance with all applicable airworthiness requirements, as well as a listing of the regulations not currently complied with. The schedule may not extend beyond the termination date of this SFAR.
(iii) If, upon reviewing the data submitted in paragraph 2(a)(i) of this SFAR, the Administrator determines that a door modification presents an unacceptable safety risk, the FAA may issue an order requiring changes to such modifications.
4. Provision for Flightdeck Door Compartment Key. Contrary to provisions of § 121.313(g), the following provision applies: A key for each door that separates a passenger compartment from an emergency exit identified to passengers in the briefing required by § 121.571(a)(1)(ii). The key required for access to the emergency exit must be readily available for each crewmember. No key to the flightcrew compartment shall be available to any crewmember during flight, except for flight crewmembers.
5. Termination. With respect to the ability to approve airplanes for return to service without data previously approved by the Administrator in the case of major alterations, this SFAR terminates on April 15, 2002. All other provisions of this SFAR terminate on April 9, 2003.
[FR Doc. 01-26204 Filed 10-12-01; 5:05 pm]