Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2007/05/22/E7-9875/parachute-equipment-and-packing
Timestamp: 2018-09-20 07:36:14
Document Index: 647348746

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 91', '§\u200991', '§\u2009105', '§\u200991', '§\u200991', '§\u2009105', '§\u2009105', '§\u200991', '§\u2009105']

Send your comments on or before August 20, 2007.
72 FR 28819
28819-28823 (5 pages)
Docket No. FAA-2005-21829
Notice No. 07-12
E7-9875
Section 91.307 Parachutes and Parachuting
Parachute Equipment and Packing: Economic Assessment, Initial Regulatory Flexibility Determination, Trade Impact Assessment, and Unfunded Mandates Assessment
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-9875 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-9875
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 28820
The FAA is considering rulemaking to change the packing interval for certain types of parachutes. Currently, the FAA requires that most parachutes may not be used or carried aboard an aircraft and available for emergency use unless they have been packed within the previous 120 days. New reliability data from the parachute industry and other sources indicate it is time to review the packing interval, and the FAA is asking for public comment on a proposal to lengthen the interval from 120 to 180 days. The effect of the proposal is to ensure the rules reflect the safest parachute packing interval.
In this rulemaking, we are also proposing several correcting amendments to the rules related to parachute operations.
You may send comments [identified by Docket Number FAA-2005-21829] using any of the following methods:
Docket: To read background documents or comments received, go to http://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room W12-140 on the Ground Floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Kim Barnette, AFS-350, Aircraft Maintenance Division, General Aviation and Avionics Branch, AFS-350, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 493-4922; facsimile (202) 267-5115, e-mail kim.a.barnette@faa.gov.
The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is found in Start Printed Page 28821Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106 describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's authority.
The FAA issued a rule in 1978 requiring that main and most reserve parachutes be packed every 120 days. Before 1978, the FAA required that all parachutes be packed every 60 days. The FAA extended the packing interval to 120 days because new synthetic parachute materials like nylon and Dacron were becoming commonplace. Parachutists had found the synthetic material was just as reliable after being packed for 120 days as it was after 60 days.
The rule still requires a 60-day packing interval for reserve parachutes that were composed of any amount of silk, pongee, or other natural fiber, or a material that was not nylon, rayon, or similar synthetic fiber. A similar requirement exists for emergency-use parachutes.
Recently acquired data from the U.S. military, foreign aviation authorities, and parachute industry representatives suggest the current 120-day packing interval may be too short. Experts assert modern parachute materials last longer when the packing interval is longer than 120 days, and that too-frequent packing may shorten the life of the materials. Those experts found the parachute's porosity was affected by handling and manipulation of the parachute while being packed. The FAA is proposing 180 days as a more suitable packing interval for modern parachute systems.
The FAA has granted several exemptions to foreign individuals who participate in parachute events in the United States. Those exemptions allowed the foreign parachutists to use their parachutes even if they had not been packed within the previous 120 days. We relied on the parachutist's compliance with the packing interval requirements of the aviation authority in the parachutist's own country.
In this NPRM we are also proposing several minor corrections to 14 CFR parts 91 and 105. We propose to remove the reference to “chair type” parachutes in § 91.307 because all parachutes, regardless of type, will have the same packing interval. We are also making two typographical corrections to errors we found in § 105.43.
We are not proposing any changes to the packing interval for parachutes made from natural fibers such as silk or pongee.
The FAA has concluded it is time to reconsider our parachute packing interval requirements. The FAA has systems to collect data about incidents related to parachutes and the activity of FAA-certificated parachute riggers. We have not, however, been able to gather our own data about the effect of the packing interval on modern parachute materials. On July 8, 2005, the Parachute Industry Association petitioned the FAA (docket no. FAA-2005-21829-1) for an exemption from the 120-day packing interval, and provided some data that suggests a longer interval may be warranted. The petition indicated many foreign countries and military organizations were using longer packing intervals that did not adversely affect safety or parachute performance.
We are issuing this notice to invite data from the public that will support or challenge our proposal to change the current parachute packing interval.
One amendment to § 91.307 would remove an unnecessary reference to “chair type” parachutes. Another would change § 91.307 to increase the packing interval for emergency-use parachutes composed exclusively of nylon, rayon, or other similar synthetic fiber or materials from 120 days to 180 days.
The amendment to § 105.43 would increase the packing interval for all main and most (those composed exclusively of nylon, rayon, or other similar synthetic fiber or materials) reserve parachutes from 120 days to 180 days. We also propose to correct two minor typographical errors in § 105.43.
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507(d)) requires that the FAA consider the impact of paperwork and other information collection burdens imposed on the public. We have determined that there are no current or new information collection requirements associated with this proposed rule.
Changes to Federal regulations must undergo several economic analyses. First, Executive Order 12866 directs that each Federal agency shall propose or adopt a regulation only upon a reasoned determination that the benefits of the intended regulation justify its costs. Second, the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-354) requires agencies to analyze the economic impact of regulatory changes on small entities. Third, the Trade Agreements Act (Pub. L. 96-39) prohibits agencies from setting standards that create unnecessary obstacles to the foreign commerce of the United States. In developing U.S. standards, this Trade Act requires agencies to consider international standards and, where appropriate, that they be the basis of U.S. standards. Fourth, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-4) requires agencies to prepare a written assessment of the costs, benefits, and other effects of proposed or final rules that include a Federal mandate likely to result in the expenditure by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of Start Printed Page 28822$100 million or more annually (adjusted for inflation with base year of 1995). This portion of the preamble summarizes the FAA's analysis of the economic impacts of this proposed rule. We suggest readers seeking greater detail read the full regulatory evaluation, a copy of which we have placed in the docket for this rulemaking.
This proposed rule will result in no quantifiable costs, although the proposal may result in some minor loss of revenue to parachute riggers. Also, we believe that extending the packing requirement from 120 days to 180 days would not degrade the current level of safety afforded to parachutists, and the level of safety in an emergency situation may increase because the parachutes would not be handled as often. Repacking parachutes may cause some degradation in the strength of the parachute material. The FAA requests comments regarding the estimated population size and typical cost of packing a reserve parachute used in this analysis. We are also requesting that all comments be accompanied by clear documentation.
This rulemaking would result in some minor cost savings to parachutists. We consider parachutists to be individuals who are not subject to RFA. This proposed rule does not impose costs on any small entities; it may however, result in some minor loss of revenue to parachute riggers. Therefore, the FAA certifies that this proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The FAA solicits comments regarding this determination.
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 1155, 40103, 40113, 40120, 44101, 44111, 44701, 44709, 44711, 44712, 44715, 44716, 44717, 44722, 46306, 46315, 46316, 46504, 46506-46507, 47122, 47508, 47528-47531, articles 12 and Start Printed Page 2882329 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (61 stat. 1180).
2. Amend § 91.307 to revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113-40114, 44701-44702, 44721
4. Amend § 105.43 to revise paragraph (a) and (b)(1) to read as follows:
[FR Doc. E7-9875 Filed 5-21-07; 8:45 am]