81 FR 74348 - Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 Airplanes; Fuselage In-Flight Fire Safety and Flammability Resistance of Aluminum-Lithium Material

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 207 (October 26, 2016)

Page Range		74348-74350
FR Document		2016-25809

This action proposes special conditions for the Bombardier Inc. (Bombardier) Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is a fuselage fabricated using aluminum-lithium materials instead of conventional aluminum. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate fire-safety standards for this design feature. These proposed special conditions contain the additional fire-safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 207 (Wednesday, October 26, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 26, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 74348-74350]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25809]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 25

[Docket No. FAA-2016-4158; Notice No. 25-16-06-SC]

Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-
2A13 Airplanes; Fuselage In-Flight Fire Safety and Flammability
Resistance of Aluminum-Lithium Material

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed special conditions.

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SUMMARY: This action proposes special conditions for the Bombardier
Inc. (Bombardier) Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. These
airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to
the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for
transport-category airplanes. This design feature is a fuselage
fabricated using aluminum-lithium materials instead of conventional
aluminum. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain
adequate or appropriate fire-safety standards for this design feature.
These proposed special conditions contain the additional fire-safety
standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a
level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing
airworthiness standards.

DATES: Send your comments on or before December 12, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2016-4158
using any of the following methods:
Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
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 or 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.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search

[[Page 74349]]

function of the docket Web site, anyone can find and read the
electronic form of all comments received into any FAA docket, including
the name of the individual sending the comment (or signing the comment
for an association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete
Privacy Act Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on
April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online instructions
for accessing the docket or go 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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe and Cabin
Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington, 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-2195; facsimile 425-227-1320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

We invite interested people to take part in this rulemaking by
sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments
reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data.
We will consider all comments we receive by the closing date for
comments. We may change these special conditions based on the comments
we receive.

Background

On May 30, 2012, Bombardier applied for an amendment to type
certificate no. T00003NY to include the new Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-
700-2A13 airplanes. These airplanes are derivatives of the Model BD-700
series of airplanes and are marketed as the Bombardier Global 7000
(Model BD-700-2A12) and Global 8000 (Model BD-700-2A13). These
airplanes are twin-engine, transport-category, executive-interior
business jets. The maximum passenger capacity is 19 and the maximum
takeoff weights are 106,250 lb. (Model BD-700-2A12) and 104,800 lb.
(Model BD-700-2A13).

Type Certification Basis

Under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, Bombardier must show that the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-
700-2A13 airplanes meet the applicable provisions of the regulations
listed in Type Certificate no. T00003NY, or the applicable regulations
in effect on the date of application for the change, except for earlier
amendments as agreed upon by the FAA.
In addition, the certification basis includes other regulations,
special conditions, and exemptions that are not relevant to these
proposed special conditions. Type Certificate no. T00003NY will be
updated to include a complete description of the certification basis
for these airplane models.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13
airplanes because of a novel or unusual design feature, special
conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or
unusual design feature, or should any other model already included on
the same type certificate be modified to incorporate the same novel or
unusual design feature, these special conditions would also apply to
the other model under Sec. 21.101.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes 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 issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in
accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type-
certification basis under Sec. 21.101.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes will
incorporate the following novel or unusual design feature: The fuselage
will be fabricated using aluminum-lithium materials instead of
conventional aluminum.

Discussion

The Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes will be
fabricated using aluminum-lithium materials. The performance of
airplanes consisting of a conventional aluminum fuselage, in an in-
flight, inaccessible-fire scenario, is understood based on service
history, and extensive intermediate- and large-scale fire testing.
Experience has shown that eliminating fire propagation of the interior
and insulation materials tends to increase survivability because other
aspects of in-flight fire safety (e.g., toxic-gas emission and smoke
obscuration) are typically byproducts of the propagating fire. The
fuselage itself does not contribute to in-flight fire propagation. This
may not be the case for a fuselage fabricated from aluminum-lithium
materials. Therefore, a special condition is necessary so that the
Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes provide protection against
in-flight fires propagating along the surface of the fuselage.
In the past, fatal in-flight fires have originated in inaccessible
areas of airplanes where thermal or acoustic insulation was located
adjacent to the airplane's aluminum fuselage skin. Research revealed
that this area has been the path for flame propagation and fire growth.
The FAA determined, in five incidents in the 1990s, that unexpected
flame spread along thermal and acoustic insulation-film covering
material, raising concerns about the fire performance of this material.
In all cases, the ignition source was relatively modest and, in most
cases, was electrical in origin (e.g., electrical short circuit, arcing
caused by chafed wiring, ruptured ballast case, etc.).
In 1996, the FAA Technical Center began a program to develop new
fire-test criteria for insulation films directly relating to in-flight
fire resistance. This development program resulted in a new test
method--the radiant-panel test--and also resulted in test criteria
specifically established for improving the in-flight fire ignition and
flame propagation of thermal and acoustic insulation materials based on
actual, on-board fire scenarios.
The FAA determined that a test similar to the test for the
measurement of insulation burnthrough resistance (14 CFR part 25,
Appendix F, Part VII, ``Test Method to Determine the Burnthrough
Resistance of Thermal/Acoustic Insulation Materials'') could be used to
assess the flammability characteristics of the proposed fuselage
aluminum-lithium material. The only change to the test is the size of
the sample and the sample holder, to accommodate panels of the fuselage
material.
Bombardier must use the test method contained in Part VII of
Appendix F, Test Method, to determine the burnthrough resistance of
thermal-acoustic insulation materials, with the slight changes to the
sample size and sample holder, as described in these

[[Page 74350]]

special conditions, to show compliance with applicable requirements.
These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety
standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a
level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing
airworthiness standards.

Applicability

As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to
Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. Should
Bombardier apply at a later date for a change to the type certificate
to include another model incorporating the same novel or unusual design
feature, these special conditions would apply to the other model as
well.

Conclusion

This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features
on Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes. It is not a
rule of general applicability.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25

Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.

The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.

The Proposed Special Conditions

Accordingly, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes the
following special conditions as part of the type certification basis
for Bombardier Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 airplanes.
1. Bombardier Inc. must demonstrate that the aluminum-lithium
material has equal or better flammability-resistance characteristics
than the aluminum-alloy sheet material typically used as skin material
on similar airplanes.
2. The test set-up and methodology must be in accordance with the
tests described in 14 CFR part 25, Appendix F, Part VII, except for the
following.
a. Each test sample must consist of a flat test specimen. A set of
three samples of aluminum-lithium sheet material must be tested. The
size of each sample must be 16 inches wide by 24 inches long by 0.063
inch thick.
b. The test samples must be installed into a steel-sheet subframe
with outside dimensions of 18 inches by 32 inches. The subframe must
have a 14.5-inch by 22.5-inch opening cut into it. The tests samples
must be mounted onto the subframe using 0.250-20 UNC threaded bolts.
c. Test specimens must be conditioned at 70 [deg]F 5
[deg]F, and 55% 5% humidity, for at least 24 hours before
testing.
3. The aluminum-lithium material must not ignite during any of the
tests.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on October 14, 2016.
Michael Kaszycki,
Assistant Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-25809 Filed 10-25-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 207 / Wednesday, October 26, 2016 / Proposed Rules 74349

function of the docket Web site, anyone BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 history, and extensive intermediate- and
can find and read the electronic form of airplanes meet the applicable provisions large-scale fire testing. Experience has
all comments received into any FAA of the regulations listed in Type shown that eliminating fire propagation
docket, including the name of the Certificate no. T00003NY, or the of the interior and insulation materials
individual sending the comment (or applicable regulations in effect on the tends to increase survivability because
signing the comment for an association, date of application for the change, other aspects of in-flight fire safety (e.g.,
business, labor union, etc.). DOT’s except for earlier amendments as agreed toxic-gas emission and smoke
complete Privacy Act Statement can be upon by the FAA. obscuration) are typically byproducts of
found in the Federal Register published In addition, the certification basis the propagating fire. The fuselage itself
on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477–19478), includes other regulations, special does not contribute to in-flight fire
as well as at conditions, and exemptions that are not propagation. This may not be the case
http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/. relevant to these proposed special for a fuselage fabricated from
Docket: Background documents or conditions. Type Certificate no. aluminum-lithium materials. Therefore,
comments received may be read at T00003NY will be updated to include a a special condition is necessary so that
http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. complete description of the certification the Model BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–
Follow the online instructions for basis for these airplane models. 2A13 airplanes provide protection
accessing the docket or go to Docket If the Administrator finds that the against in-flight fires propagating along
Operations in Room W12–140 of the applicable airworthiness regulations the surface of the fuselage.
West Building Ground Floor at 1200 (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain In the past, fatal in-flight fires have
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, adequate or appropriate safety standards originated in inaccessible areas of
DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday for the Model BD–700–2A12 and BD– airplanes where thermal or acoustic
through Friday, except Federal holidays. 700–2A13 airplanes because of a novel insulation was located adjacent to the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: or unusual design feature, special airplane’s aluminum fuselage skin.
Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe and Cabin conditions are prescribed under the Research revealed that this area has
Safety Branch, ANM–115, Transport provisions of § 21.16. been the path for flame propagation and
Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Special conditions are initially fire growth. The FAA determined, in
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue applicable to the model for which they five incidents in the 1990s, that
SW., Renton, Washington, 98057–3356; are issued. Should the type certificate unexpected flame spread along thermal
telephone 425–227–2195; facsimile for that model be amended later to and acoustic insulation-film covering
425–227–1320. include any other model that material, raising concerns about the fire
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: incorporates the same novel or unusual performance of this material. In all
design feature, or should any other cases, the ignition source was relatively
Comments Invited model already included on the same modest and, in most cases, was
We invite interested people to take type certificate be modified to electrical in origin (e.g., electrical short
part in this rulemaking by sending incorporate the same novel or unusual circuit, arcing caused by chafed wiring,
written comments, data, or views. The design feature, these special conditions ruptured ballast case, etc.).
most helpful comments reference a would also apply to the other model In 1996, the FAA Technical Center
specific portion of the special under § 21.101. began a program to develop new fire-test
conditions, explain the reason for any In addition to the applicable criteria for insulation films directly
recommended change, and include airworthiness regulations and special relating to in-flight fire resistance. This
supporting data. conditions, the Model BD–700–2A12 development program resulted in a new
We will consider all comments we and BD–700–2A13 airplanes must test method—the radiant-panel test—
receive by the closing date for comply with the fuel-vent and exhaust- and also resulted in test criteria
comments. We may change these special emission requirements of 14 CFR part specifically established for improving
conditions based on the comments we 34, and the noise-certification the in-flight fire ignition and flame
receive. requirements of 14 CFR part 36. propagation of thermal and acoustic
The FAA issues special conditions, as
Background insulation materials based on actual, on-
defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in accordance
On May 30, 2012, Bombardier applied board fire scenarios.
with § 11.38, and they become part of
for an amendment to type certificate no. The FAA determined that a test
the type-certification basis under
T00003NY to include the new Model similar to the test for the measurement
§ 21.101.
BD–700–2A12 and BD–700–2A13 of insulation burnthrough resistance (14
airplanes. These airplanes are Novel or Unusual Design Features CFR part 25, Appendix F, Part VII, ‘‘Test
derivatives of the Model BD–700 series Bombardier Inc. Model BD–700–2A12 Method to Determine the Burnthrough
of airplanes and are marketed as the and BD–700–2A13 airplanes will Resistance of Thermal/Acoustic
Bombardier Global 7000 (Model BD– incorporate the following novel or Insulation Materials’’) could be used to
700–2A12) and Global 8000 (Model BD– unusual design feature: The fuselage assess the flammability characteristics
700–2A13). These airplanes are twin- will be fabricated using aluminum- of the proposed fuselage aluminum-
engine, transport-category, executive- lithium materials instead of lithium material. The only change to the
interior business jets. The maximum conventional aluminum. test is the size of the sample and the
passenger capacity is 19 and the sample holder, to accommodate panels
Discussion of the fuselage material.
Lhorne on DSK30JT082PROD with PROPOSALS

maximum takeoff weights are 106,250
lb. (Model BD–700–2A12) and 104,800 The Bombardier Model BD–700–2A12 Bombardier must use the test method
lb. (Model BD–700–2A13). and BD–700–2A13 airplanes will be contained in Part VII of Appendix F,
fabricated using aluminum-lithium Test Method, to determine the
Type Certification Basis materials. The performance of airplanes burnthrough resistance of thermal-
Under the provisions of Title 14, Code consisting of a conventional aluminum acoustic insulation materials, with the
of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) 21.101, fuselage, in an in-flight, inaccessible-fire slight changes to the sample size and
Bombardier must show that the Model scenario, is understood based on service sample holder, as described in these

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Document Created: 2016-10-26 02:17:30
Document Modified: 2016-10-26 02:17:30

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Proposed Rules
Action		Notice of proposed special conditions.
Dates		Send your comments on or before December 12, 2016.
Contact		Alan Sinclair, FAA, Airframe and Cabin Safety Branch, ANM-115, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington, 98057- 3356; telephone 425-227-2195; facsimile 425-227-1320.
FR Citation		81 FR 74348
CFR Associated		Aircraft; Aviation Safety and Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements

81 FR 74348 - Special Conditions: Bombardier Inc. Model BD-700-2A12 and BD-700-2A13 Airplanes; Fuselage In-Flight Fire Safety and Flammability Resistance of Aluminum-Lithium Material

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIONFederal Aviation Administration

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 207 (October 26, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration