Rule2023-03981
Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X Airplane; Operation Without Normal Electrical Power
Primary source
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Published
February 27, 2023
Effective
February 27, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
These special conditions are issued for the Dassault Aviation (Dassault) Model Falcon 6X airplane. This airplane 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 an electronic flight-control system installation that establishes the criticality of the electrical power generation and distribution systems, such that the loss of all electrical power may be catastrophic to the airplane. 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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 38 (Monday, February 27, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 38 (Monday, February 27, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12134-12136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03981]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2022-0126; Special Conditions No. 25-809-SC]
Special Conditions: Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X Airplane;
Operation Without Normal Electrical Power
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Dassault Aviation
(Dassault) Model Falcon 6X airplane. This airplane 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 an electronic flight-control system
installation that establishes the criticality of the electrical power
generation and distribution systems, such that the loss of all
electrical power may be catastrophic to the airplane. 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: This action is effective on Dassault on February 27, 2023. Send
comments on or before April 13, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2022-0126 using
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> and follow the online instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> 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.
<bullet> Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Privacy: Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as
described in the following paragraph, and other
[[Page 12135]]
information as described in title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received without change to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a>, including any personal information you
provide. The FAA will also post a report summarizing each substantive
verbal contact received about these special conditions.
Confidential Business Information: Confidential Business
Information (CBI) is commercial or financial information that is both
customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from
public disclosure. If your comments responsive to these special
conditions contain commercial or financial information that is
customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and
that is relevant or responsive to these special conditions, it is
important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI.
Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN.''
The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the
FOIA, and the indicated comments will not be placed in the public
docket of these special conditions. Send submissions containing CBI to
the Information Contact below. Comments the FAA receives, which are not
specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket for
these special conditions.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/">https://www.regulations.gov/</a> 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: Dan Poblete, Aircraft Systems, AIR-
623, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Suite 100, Lakewood,
California 90712; telephone 562-627-5335, fax 562-627-5210; email
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fe9a9f90979b92d09ad08e919c929b8a9bbe989f9fd0999188"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3e5a5f50575b52105a104e515c525b4a5b7e585f5f10595148">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The substance of these special conditions
has been published in the Federal Register for public comment in
several prior instances with no substantive comments received.
Therefore, the FAA finds that, pursuant to Sec. 11.38(b), new comments
are unlikely, and notice and comment prior to this publication are
unnecessary.
Comments Invited
The FAA invites 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.
The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date for
comments. The FAA may change these special conditions based on the
comments received.
Background
On July 1, 2012, Dassault Aviation applied for a type certificate
for its new Model Falcon 5X airplane. However, Dassault has decided not
to release an airplane under the model designation Falcon 5X, instead
choosing to change that model designation to Falcon 6X.
In February of 2018, due to engine supplier issues, Dassault
extended the type certificate application date for its Model Falcon 5X
airplane under new Model Falcon 6X. This airplane is a twin-engine
business jet with seating for 19 passengers, and has a maximum takeoff
weight of 77,460 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of 14 CFR 21.17, Dassault must show that the
Model Falcon 6X airplane meets the applicable provisions of part 25, as
amended by amendments 25-1 through 25-146.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane
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, 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 Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane 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. 21.17(a)(2).
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane will incorporate the
following novel or unusual design features:
An electronic flight-control system installation that establishes
the criticality of the electrical power generation and distribution
systems, such that the loss of all electrical power may be catastrophic
to the airplane.
Discussion
The Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X airplane will have a fly-by-
wire control system that requires a continuous source of electrical
power to maintain an operable flight-control system. Section
25.1351(d), ``Operation without normal electrical power,'' requires
safe operation for at least five minutes, in visual flight rules (VFR),
with normal power inoperative. This rule was structured around a
traditional design, with mechanical control cables for flight control,
while flightcrew considered the electrical failures, attempted to start
engines(s) if necessary, and attempted to re-establish some of the
electrical-power-generation capability.
Changes in technology have produced advanced electrical and
electronic airplane systems that requires a continuous source of
electrical power to maintain an operable flight-control system. The
Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane design must not be time-limited in
its operation, including being without the normal source of electrical
power generated from engine generators or auxiliary power unit (APU),
to maintain the same level of safety associated with traditional
designs.
Airplane service experience has shown that the loss of all
electrical power, as generated by the airplane's engine generators or
APU, is not extremely improbable. Therefore, the applicant must
demonstrate that the airplane maintains safe flight and landing,
including steering and braking on the ground with the use of airplane
emergency electrical-power systems. These emergency electrical-power
systems must be able to provide power to loads required for continued
safe flight and landing.
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.
[[Page 12136]]
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Dassault Model Falcon 6X airplane. Should Dassault 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 that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on one model of airplane. It is not a rule of general applicability.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
Authority Citation
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.
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 Dassault Aviation Model Falcon 6X
airplanes.
In lieu of the requirements of 14 CFR 25.1351(d), the following
special conditions apply:
(a) The applicant must show, by test or a combination of test and
analysis, that the airplane is capable of continued safe flight and
landing with all normal electrical power sources inoperative, as
prescribed by paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) below. For purposes of this
special condition, normal sources of electrical-power generation do not
include alternate power sources such as a battery, ram-air turbine, or
independent power systems such as a flight-control permanent-magnet
generating system.
(b) The airplane is demonstrated to be capable of continued safe
flight and landing by ensuring the performance of the systems
capability, effects on crew workload and operating conditions, and the
physiological needs of the flightcrew and passengers meet the
requirements for the longest diversion time for which approval is
sought.
(1) Common-cause failures, cascading failures, and zonal physical
threats must be considered in showing compliance with this requirement.
(2) The ability to restore operation of portions of the electrical-
power generation and distribution system may be considered if it can be
shown that unrecoverable loss of those portions of the system is
extremely improbable. An alternative source of electrical power must be
provided for the time required to restore the minimum electrical-power-
generation capability required for safe flight and landing.
Unrecoverable loss of all engines may be excluded when showing that
unrecoverable loss of critical portions of the electrical system is
extremely improbable. Unrecoverable loss of all engines is covered in
special condition (c), below, and thus may be excluded when showing
compliance with this requirement.
(c) Regardless of any electrical-generation and distribution-system
recovery capability shown under special condition (a), above,
sufficient electrical-system capability must be provided to:
(1) Allow time to descend, with all engines inoperative, at the
speed that provides the best glide distance, from the maximum operating
altitude to the altitude at the top of the engine restart envelope, and
(2) Subsequently allow multiple start attempts of the engines and
APU. This capability must be provided in addition to the electrical
capability required by existing part 25 requirements related to
operation with all engines inoperative.
(d) The airplane emergency electrical-power system must be designed
to supply electrical power required for:
(1) Immediate safety, which must continue to operate without the
need for flightcrew action following the loss of the normal electrical
power, for a duration sufficient to allow reconfiguration to provide a
non-time-limited source of electrical power.
(2) Continued safe flight and landing for the maximum diversion
time.
(e) If APU-generated electrical power is used in satisfying the
requirements of these special conditions, and if reaching a suitable
runway upon which to land is beyond the capacity of the battery
systems, then the APU must be able to be started under any foreseeable
flight condition prior to the depletion of the battery or the
restoration of normal electrical power, which ever occurs first. Flight
tests must demonstrate this capability at the most critical condition.
(1) The applicant must show that the APU will provide adequate
electrical power for continued safe flight and landing.
(2) The Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) must incorporate non-normal
procedures that direct the pilot to take appropriate actions to
activate the APU after loss of normal engine-generated electrical
power.
(f) As a part of showing compliance with these special conditions,
the tests by which loss of all normal electrical power is demonstrated
must also take into account the following:
(1) The failure condition should be assumed to occur during night
instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), at the most critical phase
of the flight, relative to the worst possible electrical-power
distribution and equipment-loads-demand condition.
(2) After the un-restorable loss of normal engine-generated
electrical power, the airplane-engine-restart capability must be
provided and operations continued in IMC.
(3) The applicant must demonstrate that the aircraft is capable of
continued safe flight and landing. The length of time must be computed
based on the maximum diversion-time capability for which the airplane
is being certified. Consideration for airspeed reductions resulting
from the associated failure or failures must be made.
(4) The airplane must provide adequate indication of loss of normal
electrical power to direct the pilot to the non-normal procedures, and
the AFM must incorporate non-normal procedures that will direct the
pilot to take appropriate actions.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on February 22, 2023.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Innovation Policy Branch, Policy and Innovation
Division, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-03981 Filed 2-24-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on February 27, 2023.
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