[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 52 (Friday, March 16, 2018)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11634-11637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05321]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 23

[Docket No. FAA-2018-0200; Special Conditions No. 23-287-SC]


Special Conditions: Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., HA-420 
Airplane; Single-Place Side-Facing Lavatory Seat Dynamic Test

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Honda Aircraft 
Company, Inc., HA-420 airplane. This airplane will have a novel or 
unusual design feature associated with a single-place side-facing seat 
in the lavatory that can be used as a passenger seat during taxi, 
takeoff, and landing. 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.

DATES: The special conditions are effective March 16, 2018, and are 
applicable March 7, 2018.
    We must receive your comments by April 16, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2018-0200 
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 of Courier: Take comments to Docket 
Operations in

[[Page 11635]]

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://regulations.gov, including any personal information 
the commenter provides. Using the search function of the docket 
website, 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 the 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: Bob Stegeman, Federal Aviation 
Administration, AIR-691, Policy & Innovation Division, Small Airplane 
Standards Branch, Aircraft Certification Service, 901 Locust, Kansas 
City, Missouri 64106; telephone (816) 329-4140; facsimile (816) 329-
4090.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FAA has determined that notice and 
opportunity for prior public comment are impracticable because these 
procedures would significantly delay issuance of the approval design 
and thus delivery of the affected airplanes.

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 ask 
that you send us two copies of written comments.
    We will consider all comments we receive on or before the closing 
date for comments. We will consider comments filed late if it is 
possible to do so without incurring expense or delay. We may change 
these special conditions based on the comments we receive.

Background

    On January 6, 2017, Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. applied for a 
change to Type Certificate (TC) No. A00018AT for the installation of a 
single-place side-facing belted lavatory seat in the HA-420 airplane. 
The HA-420, currently approved under TC No. A00018AT, is a 7-seat, 
lightweight business jet with a 43,000-foot service ceiling and a 
maximum takeoff weight of 9,963 pounds. The airplane is powered by two 
GE-Honda Aero Engines (GHAE) HF-120 turbofan engines.
    The airplane will be equipped with a ``belted'' lavatory seat cover 
that a passenger can be seated in during taxi, takeoff, and landing. 
Therefore, compliance with the provisions of 14 CFR 23.562 and 23.785--
in addition to the certification basis as established in TC No. 
A00018AT--and any additional requirements the FAA determines, are 
applicable. In this case, the approval of a side-facing seat to these 
provisions is considered novel or unusual; therefore, special 
conditions are required.
    14 CFR part 23, amendment 23-36,\2\ effective September 14, 1988, 
revised the emergency landing conditions that must be considered in the 
design of the airplane. Specifically, it revised the static load 
conditions in Sec.  23.561 and added Sec.  23.562 to require dynamic 
testing for all seats approved for occupancy during takeoff and 
landing. The intent of amendment 23-36 is to provide an improved level 
of safety for occupants on airplanes certificated under part 23 (part 
23 airplanes). In part 23 airplanes, most seating is forward or aft 
facing; therefore, the pass/fail criteria in amendment 23-36 focuses on 
forward- and aft-facing seats.
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    \2\ Ref 53 FR 30802, August 15, 1988.
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Type Certification Basis

    Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.101, Honda Aircraft Company, 
Inc., must show that the HA-420, as changed, continues to meet the 
applicable provisions of the regulations incorporated by reference in 
TC No. A00018AT or the applicable regulations in effect on the date of 
application for the type certificate. The regulations incorporated by 
reference in the type certificate are commonly referred to as the 
``original type certification basis.'' The regulations incorporated by 
reference in TC No. A00018AT are as follows:
    14 CFR part 23, Airworthiness Standards: Normal, Utility, 
Acrobatic, and Commuter Airplanes, effective February 1, 1965, as 
amended by amendments 23-1, July 29, 1965, through amendment 23-62, 
dated December 2, 2011.
    14 CFR part 34, Fuel Venting and Exhaust Emission Requirements for 
Turbine-Engine-Powered Airplanes, effective September 10, 1990, as 
amended by amendments 34-1, dated July 31, 1995 through amendment 34-5, 
dated December 31, 2012.
    14 CFR part 36, Noise Standards: Aircraft Type Certification and 
Airworthiness Certification, effective March 11, 1994, as amended by 
amendments 36-1, dated December 1, 1965, through amendment 36-29, dated 
March 11, 2013.
    Exemption 11123, dated December 16, 2014, Sec.  23.181(b), Dynamic 
Stability Compliance with Sec.  23.181(b) during takeoff and landing.
    ELOS ACE-15-08, dated June 5, 2015: Use of 1-g Stall Speeds in lieu 
of Minimum Speed in the Stall as a Basis for Determining.
    ELOS ACE-15-09, dated March 26, 2015: Electronic Display of Engine 
Instruments N1, N2, ITT, Oil Pressure, Oil Temperature, Fuel Flow, and 
Fuel Quantity on a Garmin G3000 Integrated Flight Deck.
    ELOS ACE-15-10, dated March 25, 2015: Storage Battery Design and 
Installation Compliance.
    ELOS ACE-15-11, dated September 14, 2015: Airspeed Indicator (ASI) 
Flap Markings.
    ELOS ACE-15-15, dated September 1, 2015: Amendment 23-62 
Corrections.
    Special Condition No. 23-263-SC, dated March 25, 2015, Dynamic Test 
Requirements for Single-Place Side-Facing Seats.
    Special Condition No. 23-264-SC, dated March 25, 2015, Electronic 
Engine Control System.
    Special Condition 23-265-SC, dated June 9, 2015, Fire 
Extinguishing. Note: This special condition supersedes the ELOS finding 
of ELOS Memo ACE-15-15.
    Special Condition No. 23-269-SC, dated Sept 14, 2015, Lithium-Ion 
Battery Installation.
    Special Condition No. 23-270-SC, dated August 3, 2015: High 
Altitude Operations.
    Special Condition Notice No. 23-271-SC, dated October 26, 2015, 
Cruise Speed Control.
    If the Administrator finds the applicable airworthiness regulations 
(i.e., 14 CFR part 23, Sec.  23.562) do not contain adequate or 
appropriate safety standards for the HA-420 because of a novel or 
unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed under the 
provisions of 14 CFR 21.16.
    The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, 
under Sec.  11.38,

[[Page 11636]]

and they become part of the type certification basis under Sec.  
21.101.
    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, the FAA would apply these special conditions to 
the other model.

Novel or Unusual Design Features

    The HA-420 will incorporate the following novel or unusual design 
feature:
    A single-place side-facing lavatory seat intended for taxi, 
takeoff, and landing.

Discussion

    The seat is to incorporate design features that reduce the 
potential for injury in the event of an accident. The seat is 
essentially a padded toilet cover. In a severe impact, the occupant 
will be restrained by a 2-point seatbelt attached to the sidewall and, 
in an accident, bear on an adjacent wall/bulkhead forward of the 
occupant. This wall/bulkhead may or may not be padded, depending upon 
test results. Due primarily to its close proximity to the occupant, the 
wall provides the same function of the upper torso restraint for 
forward facing occupants.
    The testing should represent features in the cabin that may 
influence dynamic test results. Notable details include a 
representative bulkhead forward lavatory wall and any objects that may 
influence its ability to attenuate load or otherwise affect its 
stiffness. This could include cabin furniture or seats forward of the 
bulkhead.
    Dynamic seat testing also requires seat attachment points be 
deflected in pitch and roll in order to demonstrate the seat will 
remain attached as the airplane deforms in an accident. In this 
installation, pitch and roll are not practicable and not required 
because the seat is primarily attached to the sidewall and the seatbelt 
and bulkhead primarily restrain the occupant.
    In addition to the design features intended to minimize occupant 
injury during an accident sequence, the installation will also require 
operational procedures that will facilitate egress in the event of an 
accident, including leaving the lavatory door locked open during taxi, 
takeoff, and landing. The adjacent forward wall/bulkhead interior 
structure may have padding that will provide some protection to the 
head of the occupant if head injury criteria (HIC) values require it.

Applicability

    As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the 
HA-420. Should Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. 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 FAA would apply these 
special conditions to that model as well.

Conclusion

    This action affects only certain novel or unusual design features 
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability and 
affects only the applicant who applied to the FAA for approval of these 
features on the airplane.
    The FAA has determined that notice and opportunity for prior public 
comment are impracticable because these procedures would significantly 
delay issuance of the approval design and thus delivery of the affected 
airplanes. The FAA is requesting comments to allow interested persons 
to submit views that may not have been submitted in response to the 
prior opportunities for comment described above.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 23

    Aircraft, Aviation safety, Signs and symbols.

    The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701-44702; 44704, 
Pub. L. 113-53, 127 Stat 584 (49 U.S.C. 44704) note, 14 CFR 21.16 
and 21.101(d).

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 Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., HA-420 
airplanes.

(1) Single-Place Side-Facing Lavatory Seat Dynamic Test

    (a) Existing Criteria. As referenced by Sec.  23.785(b), all injury 
protection criteria of Sec.  23.562(c)(l) through (c)(7) apply to the 
occupants of the side-facing seat. Head injury criteria (HIC) 
assessments are only required for head contact with the seat and/or 
adjacent structures.
    (b) Body-to-wall furnishing contact. The seat must be installed aft 
of a structure such as an interior wall or furnishing that will contact 
the pelvis, upper arm, chest, or head of an occupant seated next to the 
structure. A conservative representation of the structure and its 
stiffness must be included in the tests.
    (c) Thoracic Trauma. Testing with a Side Impact Dummy (SID), as 
defined by 49 CFR part 572, subpart F or its equivalent, must be 
performed in order to establish Thoracic Trauma Index (TTI) injury 
criteria. TTI acquired with the SID must be less than 85, as defined in 
49 CFR part 572, subpart F. SID TTI data must be processed as defined 
in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) part 571.214, section 
S11.5 Rational analysis, comparing an installation with another 
installation where TTI data were acquired and found acceptable, may 
also be viable.
    (d) Pelvis. Pelvic lateral acceleration must not exceed 130g. 
Pelvic acceleration data must be processed as defined in FMVSS part 
571.214, section S11.5.
    (e) Shoulder Strap Loads. Where upper torso straps (shoulder 
straps) are used for occupants, tension loads in individual straps must 
not exceed 1,750 pounds. If dual straps are used for restraining the 
upper torso, the total strap tension loads must not exceed 2,000 
pounds.
    (f) Compression Loads. The compression load measured between the 
pelvis and the lumbar spine of the Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) 
may not exceed 1,500 pounds.
    (g) Emergency Evacuation. When occupied, the lavatory door must be 
latched open for taxi, takeoff and landing and remain latched under the 
Sec.  23.561(b) loads. The airplane configuration must meet the 
emergency evacuation requirements of its certification basis with the 
seat occupied.
    (h) Lavatory Placard. A placard specifying that the lavatory door 
must be latched (in the open position) for taxi, takeoff, and landing 
when the lavatory is occupied must be displayed in an acceptable manner 
for Sec.  23.791 compliance.
    (i) Test Requirements in Sec.  23.562 dynamic loads. The tests in 
Sec.  23.562(a), (b), and (c) must be conducted on the lavatory seat. 
Floor deformation is generally required except for a seat that is 
cantilevered to the bulkhead.
    (j) The following are the agreed upon methods of compliance and 
test requirements:

(1) General Test Guidelines

    (i) One longitudinal test with the SID ATD or its equivalent, un-
deformed floor, no yaw, and with all lateral structural supports 
(armrests/walls) will be accomplished.


[[Page 11637]]


--Pass/fail injury assessments: TTI and pelvic acceleration.

    (ii) One longitudinal test with the Hybrid II ATD, deformed floor, 
with 10 degrees yaw, and with all lateral structural supports 
(armrests/walls) will be accomplished.

--Pass/fail injury assessments: HIC and upper torso restraint load, 
restraint system retention, and pelvic acceleration.

    (iii) Vertical (15 g's) test is to be conducted with modified 
Hybrid II ATDs with existing pass/fail criteria.
    (iv) The ATD can be tethered for the floor deformation test.
    (v) The seatbelt is not required to have a TSO Authorization but 
will need to comply with the TSO-C22g Minimum Performance Standards 
(MPS).

(2) Special Notes

    (i) The ATD head and torso must remain supported by the forward 
divider (wall) during the event. The ATD is not permitted to move 
inboard of the divider.
    (ii) Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. must determine whether the last 
cabin seat will become a partition panel or bulkhead restraint that can 
increase ATD inertial loading or otherwise affect the test whether the 
last cabin seat is occupied or unoccupied.
    (iii) The ATD should be fitted in a manner reflecting the worst 
occupant seating. Belts, buckles, and other clothing must remain 
restrained for the event duration and not become loose items of mass.

    Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 7, 2018.
Pat Mullen,
Manager, Small Airplane Standards Branch, Aircraft Certification 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-05321 Filed 3-15-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-13-P


