Rule2023-16094
Accepted Means of Compliance; Airworthiness Standards: Transport Category Airplanes
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 4, 2023
Effective
August 4, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
This document announces SAE International (SAE) aerospace standard (AS) for use as a means of compliance to the applicable airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. The FAA accepts SAE Designation AS6960 "Performance Standards for Seat Furnishings", section 3.2.3 as a means of compliance with regard to the design of seat furnishings.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 149 (Friday, August 4, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 149 (Friday, August 4, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 51695]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16094]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 149 / Friday, August 4, 2023 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 51695]]
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No.: FAA-2023-1442]
Accepted Means of Compliance; Airworthiness Standards: Transport
Category Airplanes
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notification of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This document announces SAE International (SAE) aerospace
standard (AS) for use as a means of compliance to the applicable
airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. The FAA
accepts SAE Designation AS6960 ``Performance Standards for Seat
Furnishings'', section 3.2.3 as a means of compliance with regard to
the design of seat furnishings.
DATES: Effective August 4, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Jacquet, Cabin Safety Section,
AIR-624, Technical Policy Branch, Policy & Standards Division, Federal
Aviation Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198,
telephone 206-231-3208, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3074515e59555c1e7a515341455544705651511e575f46"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7531141b1c10195b3f141604001001351314145b121a03">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Under the provisions of the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act of 1995 \1\ and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Circular A-119, ``Federal Participation in the Development and Use of
Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment
Activities,'' effective January 27, 2016, the FAA participates in the
development of consensus standards and uses consensus standards as a
means of carrying out its policy objectives where appropriate. The FAA
has been working with industry and other stakeholders through the SAE
Aircraft Seat Committee to develop consensus standards for seat
furnishings to prevent hazards, such as object entrapment.
This document is the result of a safety recommendation,
precipitated by an event where a passenger cell phone was crushed in
the mechanism of a first class cabin seat on a British Airways Boeing
747 airplane that caused smoke and fire. A pilot declared an emergency
landing due to the fire. The crew used four Bromochlorodifluoromethane
(BCF) and two water fire extinguishers to extinguish the cell phone
fire.
The FAA investigators found that the first and business class
electrical power seats could jam a cell phone or tablet within its
mechanism and crush its lithium battery to cause a fire. In the 2017
safety recommendation, the British Airways maintenance department said
they saw at least one cell phone per day get jammed in electrically
operated seats. Also noted in the safety recommendation, American
Airlines maintenance department reported receiving five calls per day
to retrieve lost cell phones in seats at John F. Kennedy International
Airport alone. According to the FAA website lithium battery incidents
continue to be reported and are ongoing. (<a href="https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/resources/lithium_batteries/incidents">https://www.faa.gov/hazmat/resources/lithium_batteries/incidents</a>)
The FAA determined that seat designs that allow small objects
(e.g., cell phones, keys, wallets) to migrate to a location that
prevents the return of critical seat features to their taxi, takeoff,
and landing position, or be crushed to cause a potential fire hazard,
is non-compliant with Sec. Sec. 25.601 and 25.1301(a)(4). Section
25.601 states, in part, ``The airplane may not have design features or
details that experience has shown to be hazardous or unreliable.'' In
addition, Sec. 25.1301(a)(4) states, ``Each item of installed
equipment must function properly when installed.'' The FAA accepts SAE
Designation AS6960 ``Performance Standards for Seat Furnishings'',
section 3.2.3 as a means of compliance for Title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) 25.601 and 25.1301(a)(4) with regard to the design
of seat furnishings.
Means of Compliance Accepted
The FAA accepts SAE AS6960, ``Performance Standards for Seat
Furnishings'', section 3.2.3 as an acceptable means of compliance with
Sec. Sec. 25.601 and 25.1301(a)(4) for preventing hazards, such as
stated herein, from object entrapment in seat furnishings. The FAA is
notifying the public by publishing the acceptance of this consensus
standard in the Federal Register.
The means of compliance accepted by this document is one means, but
not the only means, of complying with Sec. Sec. 25.601 and
25.1301(a)(4) with regard to design of seat furnishings. Applicants who
desire to use means of compliance reflected by other revisions to SAE
standards not previously accepted may seek guidance and possible
acceptance from the FAA for the use of those means of compliance on a
case-by-case basis. Applicants may also propose alternative means of
compliance for FAA review and possible acceptance.
Availability
SAE AS6960, ``Performance Standards for Seat Furnishings in
Transport Category Aircraft'' is available for purchase at <a href="https://www.sae.org/standards">https://www.sae.org/standards</a> or by contacting SAE at telephone number (877)
606-7323 or through email at <a href="https://store.sae.org">https://store.sae.org</a>. To inquire about
consensus standard content, contact Nicole Mattern, Aircraft Seat
Committee, (724) 772-4039 at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3a74535955565f14775b4e4e5f48547a495b5f1455485d"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="df91b6bcb0b3baf192beababbaadb19facbebaf1b0adb8">[email protected]</span></a>.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri.
Mary Schooley,
Acting Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-16094 Filed 8-3-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 4, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.