Rule2024-10500
Special Conditions: Aerospace Design & Compliance, LLC (ADC), Textron Aviation Inc. Model 550, 560, and 560XL Airplane; Electronic System Security Protection From Unauthorized Internal Access
Primary source
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Published
May 22, 2024
Effective
May 22, 2024
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Aviation Administration
Abstract
These special conditions are issued for the Textron Aviation, Inc. (Textron) 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel) series airplane as modified by Aerospace Design & Compliance, LLC (ADC). 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 the installation of a digital system that contains a wireless and hardwired network with hosted application functionality that allows access, from sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's internal electronic components. 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 89 Issue 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 44913-44914]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-10500]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2024-0721; Special Conditions No. 25-863-SC]
Special Conditions: Aerospace Design & Compliance, LLC (ADC),
Textron Aviation Inc. Model 550, 560, and 560XL Airplane; Electronic
System Security Protection From Unauthorized Internal Access
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 Textron Aviation,
Inc. (Textron) 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel)
series airplane as modified by Aerospace Design & Compliance, LLC
(ADC). 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 the
installation of a digital system that contains a wireless and hardwired
network with hosted application functionality that allows access, from
sources internal to the airplane, to the airplane's internal electronic
components. 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 ADC on May 22, 2024. Send comments
on or before July 8, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by Docket No. FAA-2024-0721 using
any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">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.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">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: Thuan T. Nguyen, Avionics Software &
Components Unit, AIR-626D, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and
Standards Division, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, Washington 98198;
telephone and fax 206-231-3365; email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#25714d50444b0b710b6b42505c404b654344440b424a53"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d185b9a4b0bfff85ff9fb6a4a8b4bf91b7b0b0ffb6bea7">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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.
Privacy
Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in
the following paragraph, and other 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 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 individual listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section above. Comments the FAA receives, which are
not specifically designated as CBI, will be placed in the public docket
for these special conditions.
Background
On September 02, 2022, ADC applied for a supplemental type
certificate (STC) for the installation of an electronic networks system
architecture that contains a wireless and hardwired network with hosted
application functionality that allows access, from sources internal to
the airplane, to the airplane's internal electronic components in the
Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel) series
airplane. The Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra Encore), and 560XL
(Excel) series airplane, currently approved under Type Certificate No.
A22CE, is a two-engine transport category airplane. The maximum seating
capacity for the Model 550 (Bravo) is 11 passengers and 2 crew members.
The maximum takeoff weight is 14,800 pounds. The seating capacity for
the Model 560 (Ultra Encore) is 11 passengers and 2 crew members. The
maximum takeoff weight is 16,630 pounds. The seating capacity for the
Model 560XL (Excel) is 12 passengers and 2 crew members. The maximum
takeoff weight is 20,200 pounds.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.101, ADC must show that the Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560
(Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel), as changed, continues to meet the
applicable provisions of the regulations listed in Type Certificate No.
A22CE or the applicable regulations in effect on the date of
application for the change, except for earlier amendments as agreed
upon by the FAA.
[[Page 44914]]
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 Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560
(Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel) 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 applicant apply for a supplemental type
certificate to modify any other model included on the same type
certificate 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 Textron Aviation Inc. Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra
Encore), and 560XL (Excel) airplane must comply with the 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
The STC requested by ADC for the Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560
(Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel) series airplane will incorporate the
following novel or unusual design feature: the installation of a
digital system that contains a wireless and hardwired network with
hosted application functionality that allows access, from sources
internal to the airplane, to the airplane's internal electronic
components.
Discussion
The Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra Encore), and 560XL
(Excel) series airplane system architecture and network configuration
change proposed by ADC is novel or unusual for transport category
airplanes because it is composed of several connected wireless and
hardwired networks. This system and network architecture is used for a
diverse set of airplane functions including:
<bullet> Flight safety related control and navigation systems;
<bullet> Airline business and administrative support; and
<bullet> Passenger entertainment.
The airplane's control domain and airline information-services
domain of these networks perform functions required for the safe
operation and maintenance of the airplane. Previously, these domains
had very limited connectivity with other network sources. This network
architecture creates a potential for unauthorized persons to access the
airplane-control domain and airline information-services domain from
sources internal to the airplane and presents security vulnerabilities
related to the introduction of computer viruses and worms, user errors,
and intentional sabotage of airplane electronic assets (networks,
systems, and databases) critical to the safety and maintenance of the
airplane.
The applicable FAA regulations did not anticipate these networked
airplane system architectures. Furthermore, these regulations and the
current guidance material do not address potential security
vulnerabilities, which could be exploited by unauthorized access to
airplane networks, data buses, and servers. Therefore, these special
conditions ensure that the security (i.e., confidentiality, integrity,
and availability) of airplane systems will not be compromised by
unauthorized hardwired or wireless electronic connections from within
the airplane. These special conditions also require the applicant to
provide appropriate instructions to the operator to maintain all
electronic-system safeguards that have been implemented as part of the
original network design so that this feature does not allow or
reintroduce security threats.
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.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra Encore), and 560XL (Excel) series
airplane, as proposed to be modified by ADC. Should ADC apply at a
later date for a supplemental type certificate to modify any other
model included on Type Certificate No. A22CE to incorporate 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
of ADC's proposed STC for the Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra
Encore), and 560XL (Excel) series of airplane. It is not a rule of
general applicability and affects only the applicant who applied to the
FAA for approval of that feature on the airplane.
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, and
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 Textron Model 550 (Bravo), 560 (Ultra
Encore), and 560XL (Excel) series airplanes, as modified by ADC, for
airplane electronic-system internal access:
1. The applicant must ensure that the design provides isolation
from, or airplane electronic network system security protection
against, access by unauthorized sources internal to the airplane. The
design must prevent inadvertent and malicious changes to, and all
adverse impacts upon, airplane equipment, systems, networks, or other
assets required for safe flight and operations.
2. The applicant must establish appropriate procedures to allow the
operator to ensure that continued airworthiness of the airplane is
maintained, including all post type certification modifications that
may have an impact on the approved electronic network system security
safeguards.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 9, 2024.
Patrick R. Mullen,
Manager, Technical Policy Branch, Policy and Standards Division,
Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-10500 Filed 5-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
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