[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 201 (Tuesday, October 19, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 56377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27285]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Additional Airship Design Standards To Allow 13-Passenger
Capacity
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability of additional design standards.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of additional Airship
Design Standards to allow increasing the Skyship 600 passenger capacity
from 9 to 13 passengers.
Discussion
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received an
application to amend the type certificate (TC) of the Skyship 600 to
increase the maximum passenger capacity from 9 to 13. The regulatory
basis for the original Skyship 600 TC is FAA-P-8110-2, ``Airship Design
Criteria (ADC).'' The ADC established a level of safety for airships
equivalent to Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 23
Normal Category Airplanes, thereby limiting airships to nine
passengers. Therefore, additional airworthiness criteria are required
to increase the maximum number of passengers above the nine-passenger
limit.
AC 21.17-1A, Change 1, ``Type Certification--Airships,'' describes
two acceptable criteria for the type certification of airships. The two
criteria provide acceptable means, but not the only means, for showing
compliance to 14 CFR part 21, Sec. 21.17(b). The ADC provides one of
the acceptable criteria. If the ADC airworthiness criteria are
inadequate or inappropriate for type certification due to an airship's
unique design or design features, AC 21.17-1A, in accordance with 14
CFR Sec. 21.17(b), allows for other criteria to be developed. The FAA
must approve these other criteria.
The applicant has proposed criteria, in addition to the ADC, to
allow 13-passenger capacity. The additional criteria are the same
criteria issued by the British Civil Aviation Authority for 13-
passenger Skyship 600 operations in the United Kingdom. The FAA agrees
that the additional criteria provide an acceptable level of safety by
requiring additional emergency exits. The additional criteria is
similar to that of 14 CFR part 23, Sec. 23.807(d)(1)(i), which
establishes emergency exit requirements for commuter category airplanes
with up to 15 passengers.
The FAA has approved the additional criteria specifically for the
passenger seating increase for the Skyship 600. The additional criteria
would not necessarily be adequate or appropriate for a similar capacity
increase on an airship of different type design.
How To Obtain Copies
A copy of the Skyship 600 13-passenger criteria may be obtained
from the FAA, Small Airplane Directorate, Attention: Ms. Terre Flynn,
ACE-111, DOT Building, Room 301, 901 Locust, Kansas City, MO 64106-
2641.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mike Reyer, Aerospace Engineer,
Regulations and Policy Branch, FAA, Small Airplane Directorate;
telephone number (816) 329-4131.
Issued in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 7, 1999.
Michael K. Dahl,
Acting Manager, Small Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 99-27285 Filed 10-18-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P
