Browse: Departments Dates Agencies
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
CFR Citation: 14 CFR Part 23
Docket ID: [Docket No. CE288; Special Conditions No. 23-228-SC]
NOTICE: RULES
ACTION: Special Conditions:
DOCUMENT ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
SUBJECT CATEGORY: Special Conditions: Embraer S.A. Model EMB-500; Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) System.
DATES: The effective date of these special conditions is June 16, 2008.
Comments must be received on or before July 25, 2008.
DOCUMENT SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Embraer S.A. Model EMB500 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or unusual design feature(s) associated with the use of an electronic engine control system instead of a traditional mechanical control system. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These 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.
SUMMARY: Embraer S.A. Model EMB-500; Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) System,
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The FAA has determined that notice and opportunity for prior public comment hereon are impracticable because these procedures would significantly delay issuance of the design approval and thus delivery of the affected aircraft. In addition, the substance of these special conditions has been subject to the public comment process in several prior instances with no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore finds that good cause exists for making these special conditions effective upon issuance.Comments Invited
Interested persons are invited to submit such written data, views,
or arguments as they may desire. Communications should identify the
regulatory docket or special condition number and be submitted in
duplicate to the address specified above. All communications received
on or before the closing date for comments will be considered by the
Administrator. The special conditions may be changed in light of the
comments received. All comments received will be available in [[Page 35897]]
the Rules Docket for examination by interested persons, both before and
after the closing date for comments. A report summarizing each
substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerning this
rulemaking will be filed in the docket. Commenters wishing the FAA to
acknowledge receipt of their comments submitted in response to this
notice must include a selfaddressed, stamped postcard on which the
following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. CE288.'' The
postcard will be date stamped and returned to the commenter. Background
On October 5, 2005, Embraer S.A. applied for a type certificate for
their new Model EMB500. The Model EMB500 is a normal category, low
winged monoplane with ``T'' tailed vertical and horizontal stabilizers,
retractable tricycle type landing gear and twin turbofan engines
mounted on the aircraft fuselage. Its design characteristics include a
predominance of metallic construction. The maximum takeoff weight is
9,965 pounds, the V
The Embraer S.A. Model EMB500 airplane is equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F turbofan engines using an electronic engine control system instead of a traditional mechanical control system. Even though the engine control system will be certificated as part of the engine, the installation of an engine with an electronic control system requires evaluation due to critical environmental effects and possible effects on or by other airplane systems. For example, indirect effects of lightning, radio interference with other airplane electronic systems, shared engine and airplane data and power sources.
The regulatory requirements in 14 CFR part 23 for evaluating the installation of complex systems, including electronic systems and critical environmental effects, are contained in Sec. 23.1309. However, when Sec. 23.1309 was developed, the use of electronic control systems for engines was not envisioned. Therefore, the Sec. 23.1309 requirements were not applicable to systems certificated as part of the engine (reference Sec. 23.1309(f)(1)). Although the parts of the system that are not certificated with the engine could be evaluated using the criteria of Sec. 23.1309, the integral nature of systems such as these makes it unfeasible to evaluate the airplane portion of the system without including the engine portion of the system.
In some cases, the airplane that the engine is used in will determine a higher classification (Advisory Circular (AC) 23.1309) than the engine controls are certificated for, which will require that the FADEC/DEEC (Digital Electronic Engine Control) systems be analyzed at a higher classification. As of November 2005 FADEC special conditions will mandate the classification for Sec. 23.1309 analysis for loss of FADEC control as catastrophic for any airplane. This is not to imply that an engine failure is classified as catastrophic, but that the digital engine control must provide an equivalent reliability to mechanical engine controls.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Embraer S.A. must show that the Model EMB500 meets the applicable provisions of 14 CFR part 23, as amended by Amendments 231 through 2355, thereto.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 23) do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the Model EMB500 because of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special conditions, the Model EMB500 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, and the FAA must issue a finding of regulatory adequacy pursuant to section 611 of Public Law 92574, the ``Noise Control Act of 1972.''
Special conditions, as appropriate, as defined in 11.19, are issued in accordance with Sec. 11.38, and become part of the type certification basis in accordance with Sec. 21.17(a)(2).
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, the special conditions would also apply to the other model under the provisions of Sec. 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Embraer S.A. Model EMB500 will incorporate the following novel or unusual design features: Electronic engine control system. Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the Model EMB500. Should Embraer S.A. apply at a later date for a change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating the same novel or unusual design feature, the special conditions would apply to that model as well under the provisions of Sec. 21.101.
Conclusion
This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features on one model (Model EMB500) of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability, and it affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of these features on the airplane.
Under standard practice, the effective date of final special
conditions would be 30 days after the date of publication in the
Federal Register; however, as the certification date for the Embraer
S.A. Model EMB500 is imminent, the FAA finds that good cause exists to make these special conditions effective upon issuance.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 23
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Signs and symbols.
Citation
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113 and 44701; 14 CFR 21.16 and 21.17; and 14 CFR 11.38 and 11.19.
The Special Conditions
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of
the type certification basis for Embraer S.A. Model EMB500 airplanes.
1. Electronic Engine Control.
The installation of the electronic engine control system must comply with the requirements of Sec. 23.1309(a) through (e) at Amendment 2355. The intent of this requirement is not to reevaluate the inherent hardware reliability of the control itself, but rather determine the effects, including environmental effects addressed in Sec. 23.1309(e), on the airplane systems and engine control system when installing the control on the airplane. When appropriate, engine certification data may be used when showing compliance with this requirement; however, the effects of the installation on this data must be addressed.
For these evaluations, the loss of FADEC control will be analyzed utilizing the threat levels associated with a catastrophic failure. [[Page 35898]]
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 16, 2008. James E. Jackson,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. E814383 Filed 62408; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 491013P
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Peter L. Rouse, Federal Aviation Administration, Aircraft Certification Service, Small Airplane Directorate, ACE111, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106; 8163294135, fax 8163294090.
Common CFR Searches
14 CFR Part 39 40 CFR Part 52 14 CFR Part 71 33 CFR Part 165 47 CFR Part 73 26 CFR Part 1 50 CFR Part 679 40 CFR Part 180 50 CFR Part 17 33 CFR Part 117 44 CFR Part 67 50 CFR Part 648 14 CFR Part 97 40 CFR Part 63 6 CFR Part 5 33 CFR Part 100 50 CFR Part 622 50 CFR Part 660 26 CFR Part 301 44 CFR Part 65 39 CFR Part 111 40 CFR Part 271 40 CFR Part 300 47 CFR Part 64 40 CFR Parts 52 and 81 50 CFR Part 665 39 CFR Part 3020 50 CFR Part 229 44 CFR Part 64 49 CFR Part 571