Advisory circulars; availability, etc.: Transport category airplanes— Cabin interiors crashworthiness handbook,

[Federal Register: October 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 194)]

[Notices]

[Page 54719-54720]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr07oc99-118]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

Proposed Advisory Circular (AC) 25-17A, Transport Airplane Cabin Interiors Crashworthiness Handbook

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability of proposed advisory circular (AC) 25- 17A and request for comments.

SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests comments on a proposed revision to an advisory circular (AC) which provides methods acceptable to the Administrator for showing compliance with the type certification requirements of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 25, pertaining to the cabin safety and crashworthiness of transport category airplanes. This notice is necessary to give all interested persons an opportunity to present their views on the proposed AC revision.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before February 4, 2000.

ADDRESS: Send all comments on the proposed AC revision to: Federal Aviation Administration, Attention: Terry Rees, Airframe/Cabin Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW, Renton, WA 98055-4056. Comments may be inspected at the above address between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Domonique Adams, Transport Standards Staff, at the address above, telephone (425) 227-2111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 54720]]

Comments Invited

A copy of the draft AC revision may be obtained by contacting the person named above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Interested persons are invited to comment on the proposed AC revision by submitting such written data, views, or arguments as they may desire. Commenters should identify AC 25-17A, and submit comments, in duplicate, to the address specified above. All communications received on or before the closing date for comments will be considered by the Transport Standards Staff before issuing the final AC revision. The proposed AC can be found and downloaded from the Internet at http:// www.faa/gov/avr/air/airhome.htm, at the link titled ``Draft Advisory Circulars.'' A paper copy of the proposed AC may be obtained by contacting the person named above under the caption FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Discussion

Advisory Circular 25-17 contains guidance pertinent to the cabin safety and crashworthiness type certification requirements of part 25 as amended through Amendment 25-59. This proposed revision essentially updates AC 25-17 by compiling additional pertinent guidance associated with amendments through Amendment 25-70. As is the case with AC 25-17, the proposed AC 25-17A continues to be organized numerically by basic part 25 crashworthiness requirements, then by a chronological reference of amendments that affect each requirement, and finally by any guidance associated with each of those amendments. In order to correctly utilize either AC 25-17 or the proposed revision, the applicability of a particular crashworthiness requirement, amendment, or associated guidance to an airplane must first be established by determining the airplane's certification basis as defined in its Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS).

Some advisory and guidance information applicable to transport airplane cabin safety and crashworthiness has been formally published in single-topic ACs. Advisory circulars have not been developed for all topics related to cabin safety and crashworthiness, however. In many instances, the introduction of new technology or features, or the occurrence of incidents or accidents has prompted a fresh interpretation of existing regulations or the introduction of new regulations. Issue papers and special conditions have in some cases documented the means of compliance found to be satisfactory to the FAA. In other instances, applicants, FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) managers, and foreign regulatory authorities have requested interpretations of the intent of specific regulations. Responses to those requests have been documented in the form of issue papers, and policy memorandums distributed to all ACOs, letters to applicants and foreign airworthiness authorities. Generally, all these types of information have not been organized or cataloged in a manner that facilitates ready access, and consequently, it is sometimes difficult to identify the guidance that may exist on any given topic. This proposed AC revision compiles existing policy up to the previously identified part 25 amendment into one document, so that all interested parties have more current and easier access to this information. The methods and procedures described in this AC, as proposed to be revised, have evolved over many years, and represent certification practices pertinent to the associated requirements, at the indicated amendment levels.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on September 21, 1999. Vi L. Lipski, Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, ANM-100.

[FR Doc. 99-26171Filed10-6-99; 8:45 am]

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