航空 发表于 2010-8-2 15:22:23

PARTIAL GRANT OF EXEMPTION

<P>PARTIAL GRANT OF EXEMPTION</P>
<P>**** Hidden Message *****</P>

航空 发表于 2010-8-2 15:23:03

ANM-05-146-F<BR>Exemption No. 8695<BR>UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<BR>DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION<BR>FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION<BR>RENTON, WASHINGTON 98055-4056<BR>In the matter of the petition of<BR>Airbus SAS<BR>Section 25.841(a)(2)(i) and (ii), and (3),<BR>Amendment 25-87 of Title 14, Code of Federal<BR>Regulations<BR>Regulatory Docket No. FAA-2005-20139<BR>PARTIAL GRANT OF EXEMPTION<BR>By letter dated December 7, 2004 (L21DO4027150), Mr. Wolfgang Engler, Vice President,<BR>Airbus SAS, 1 Rond Point Maurice Bellonte 3 1707 Blagnac Cedex, France, petitioned to<BR>exempt the Model A380-800 series airplanes from the requirements of 14 CFR 25.841(a)(2)(i),<BR>(a)(2)(ii), and (a)(3), as amended by Amendment 25-87. If granted, the exemption would relieve<BR>these airplanes from the requirement that—during a decompression caused by failures of the<BR>fuselage structure, the engines, or other systems—airplane cabin pressure altitude not exceed<BR>25,000 feet for more than 2 minutes or exceed 40,000 feet for any duration.<BR>Sections of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) affected:<BR>Section 25.841(a)(2) at Amendment 25-87, requires that “The airplane must be designed<BR>so that occupants will not be exposed to a cabin pressure altitude that exceeds the<BR>following after decompression from any failure condition not shown to be extremely<BR>improbable:<BR>(i) Twenty-five thousand (25,000) feet for more than 2 minutes; or<BR>(ii) Forty thousand (40,000) feet for any duration.”<BR>Section 25.841(a)(3) at Amendment 25-87, requires that “Fuselage structure, engine and<BR>system failures are to be considered in evaluating the cabin decompression.”<BR>2<BR>The petitioner's supporting information:<BR>The Petition for Exemption submitted by Airbus contains information required by 14 CFR 11.81,<BR>technical information which supports the petition, a public interest statement, and a list of<BR>references. A copy of the petition is available at http://dms.dot.gov (Select Simple Search,<BR>then enter Docket Number 20139).<BR>The Airbus A380 is designed to cruise at a maximum altitude of 43,000 feet pressure altitude.<BR>Should an uncontained engine rotor burst event occur, it is possible that the cabin pressure could<BR>exceed the limits contained in current regulations. Airbus offers the following justification in<BR>support of its petition for exemption. Some of this justification is based on cabin decompression<BR>evaluations performed and reported by the Mechanical Systems Harmonization Working Group<BR>(MSHWG) under the auspices of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC).1<BR>Airbus states that Amendment 25-87 implements restrictions on the maximum allowable cabin<BR>altitude that could result from certain failures, including system, structural, and engine failures,<BR>unless those failures could be shown to be extremely improbable. It is not possible for the<BR>current state-of-the-art to ensure that certain engine failures (especially engine rotorbursts) are<BR>extremely improbable. Amendment 25-87 effectively prevents airplanes with wing-mounted<BR>engines from operating above 40,000 feet, because an engine rotorburst could potentially strike<BR>the pressurized fuselage at that altitude. Airbus observes that neither the Joint Airworthiness<BR>Authorities nor the European Aviation Safety Administration has implemented similar<BR>restrictions.<BR>Airbus notes that very few, if any, decompression incidents have exposed an airplane cabin to<BR>pressure altitude profiles which pose a risk of injury to passengers. Industry history reveals that<BR>few cases of catastrophic decompressions at high altitude have occurred, and those that have<BR>occurred have typically involved small business jets. The petitioner observes that the FAA has<BR>cited few cases of rotor burst in cruise. In one such instance, the crew of a DC-10 crossing New<BR>Mexico reported several cases of initial decompression sickness, apparently with no permanent<BR>injuries.<BR>Airbus supplied data for the A380, using estimated values of airplane rate of descent for several<BR>failure scenarios, as required in published FAA policy on this subject. In addition, Airbus<BR>provided information on the likelihood of various failure events. In its decompression analysis,<BR>Airbus included a measure of the severity of exposure for occupants, based on a<BR>Depressurization Exposure Integral (DEI) from the MSHWG report. The petitioner used the<BR>relationship between cabin pressure and the Depressurization Severity Indicator (DSI), which is<BR>a measure of the partial pressure of oxygen, as was proposed by the MSHWG. The petitioner<BR>showed that for all the failures modes reviewed for this exemption, the resultant DSI levels were<BR>much less than the critical value specified by the MSHWG. The analysis considers certain<BR>1 The Final Report of the MSHWG, dated August 2003, was approved by a majority of the members of ARAC’s<BR>Transport Airplane Engine Issues Group (TAEIG). Seven members of TAEIG voted to submit the report as a<BR>recommendation to the FAA, two members voted against submitting the report, and one member abstained.<BR>3<BR>design and operational features of the A380-800 which would mitigate the effects of an increase<BR>in cabin pressure altitude. One of these design features is the cabin pressurization control system<BR>(CPCS) which was designed to minimize system failures that would lead to loss of cabin<BR>pressurization events.<BR>The petitioner’s Statement of Public Interest:<BR>“The A380 aircraft fully complies with the requirements of 14 CFR 25.841, (a)(2)(i) and<BR>(ii) and (3) for all system and structural failure events. An exemption is requested for<BR>cabin depressurization that can occur from uncontained engine rotor failures that result in<BR>large holes in the fuselage (i.e., those holes with a geometric area exceeding 0.225 m2).<BR>Airbus believes, based on fleet service experience, that these are rare events …The new<BR>aircraft complies with the latest FAA requirements and, therefore, offers a significantly<BR>higher basic level of safety than previously certified transport category aircraft.<BR>“Approval for operation at FL 430 would enable the air traffic system to provide more<BR>capacity, and hence more aircraft separation and safety, without adversely affecting the<BR>safety of the passengers.<BR>“Approval for flight at FL 430 would enable the A380 to compete fairly with other<BR>existing aircraft that are not subject to the same requirements, without causing any<BR>adverse effects to the passengers.<BR>“Approval for operation at FL 430 would also serve the public interest via the use of the<BR>newest generation of engines available today, and permit them to operate where they<BR>offer lower emissions, and higher fuel efficiency.<BR>“Approval for flight at FL 430 provides for more economical operation of the A380,<BR>reducing the cost to the traveling public.”<BR>Notice and Opportunity for Public Comment<BR>A Notice of Petition for Exemption was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2005.<BR>Four comments were received.1 Two of the commenters—the Boeing Company and a pilot for<BR>the Airbus Model A300-600F—support a grant of exemption. The pilot suggests a restriction to<BR>“require provisions of the relief within the Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL).<BR>Operations could be limited to a maximum of FL390 if any component of the CPCS (Cabin<BR>Pressure Control System) is inoperable or deferred for a flight.”<BR>The FAA does not agree with this suggestion because the A380’s CPCS is designed so that—in<BR>the event of the loss of one air generation unit (AGU)—cabin pressure altitude will remain at or<BR>below the maximum permitted by the regulations. The design capability of the A380 is such that<BR>1 Copies of all comments may be found in the Department of Transportation’s Docket Management System at<BR>http://dms.dot.gov/ in Docket FAA-2005-20139.<BR>4<BR>the loss of one means of providing pressurized air to the cabin does not affect compliance with<BR>the normal cabin pressure limit specified in 14 CFR part 25.<BR>Two other commenters—the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) and the Airline Pilots<BR>Association (ALPA)—oppose a grant of exemption. Their comments address the following<BR>topics:<BR>1. Physiological effects of decompression<BR>One commenter, AFA, states that the Airbus petition seems to be built upon the framework of<BR>the FAA’s Interim Policy on Amendment 25-87 Requirements and the MSHWG’s Final Report<BR>on § 25.841(a)(2) and (a)(3). AFA participated in the MSHWG but voted against submitting its<BR>Final Report to the FAA. The commenter says that its opposition was based upon<BR>“the lack of consensus within the MSHWG over the question of whether to allow cabin<BR>altitude to exceed 40,000 feet following a rapid depressurization. We also objected to the<BR>use of, for design purposes, an untested, unverified pressure-integral methodology, which<BR>is apparently lacking even the most minimal validation, independent peer review of the<BR>analysis method itself.”<BR>The AFA attached a letter, dated July 3, 2003, expressing opposition to the FAA’s Draft Interim<BR>Policy on Amendment 25-87 Requirements. The commenter states that the letter “fully supports<BR>key elements of our critique on the Airbus petition for exemption.” The letter recommends that<BR>the Draft Interim Policy not be adopted for the following reasons:<BR>“the 40,000 foot cabin altitude represents a useful regulatory limit for high altitude flight<BR>in the absence of sufficient, comprehensive data on human tolerance at high altitudes;<BR>that the proposed pressure-time integral method lacks sufficient data and a rigorous peer<BR>review to validate its use as a means of compliance; and that the FAA proposal represents<BR>bad public policy since it represents means to circumvent existing regulations and may<BR>reduce or even eliminate any motivation to validate the means of compliance.”<BR>Another commenter, ALPA, also participated in the MSHWG and voted against submitting its<BR>Final Report to the FAA. ALPA says that the “FAA’s aero medical experts had concerns<BR>associated with several of the findings of the working group, some of the proposed language<BR>discussed, and the amount of appropriate research available at the time.”<BR>In terms of the MSHWG Final Report which examined available research studies on the<BR>physiological effects of exposure to high cabin altitude, ALPA states that<BR> There was insufficient data available about the physiological effects;<BR> The data that was available did not represent a proper cross-section of the flying<BR>public, and thus additional research was necessary to confirm the conclusions of the<BR>MSHWG;<BR>5<BR> The Depressurization Exposure Integral (DEI) method, proposed in the report, was<BR>“based on assumptions and extrapolations” that were not supported by research, and<BR>not all members of the MSHWG agreed with the methodology.<BR>ALPA further points out that additional research into the physiological effects of exposure to<BR>high cabin altitude has not been conducted to date. Specifically, the commenter says that “Much,<BR>and possibly all, of the research to date using humans has been limited to young, healthy, and fit<BR>test subjects….Further testing is necessary to ascertain the resultant effects on a population more<BR>representative of the traveling public.” ALPA adds that the DEI methodology has not yet been<BR>validated.<BR>2. Holes from uncontained engine rotor failures<BR>The AFA takes issue with the way Airbus—using data from historical instances of uncontained<BR>engine rotor failures—determined the size of the holes which such events would cause in the<BR>fuselage and/or the wings of the A380. The commenter states that “…it seems counter-intuitive<BR>to assume that equivalent hole-area scales by the fan diameter ratio rather than some other, more<BR>conservative factor, such as the square of the diameter ratio….So while there will be larger holes,<BR>one would also expect there will be more of them.”<BR>3: Use of supplemental oxygen<BR>One commenter, AFA, states that<BR>“The sweeping conclusion inferred in that the combination of existing FAA regulations on oxygen equipment and<BR>A380 emergency descent rates will ‘adequately’ protect all passengers (not to mention<BR>crew) is clearly unsupportable. No rapid, ‘worst-case’ cabin depressurization can<BR>possibly result in no adverse consequences to the airplanes’s occupants.”<BR>AFA goes on to say that, “…were the FAA to allow this exemption, we strongly urge the FAA to<BR>do so only after ensuring that each and every one of the following MSHWG recommendations<BR>(Reference 2, pp. 41-42) are first incorporated into the A380 design and operational plan….”<BR>Another commenter, ALPA, indicates that<BR>“Before the FAA considers granting this exemption, …there must be close examination<BR>of the descent profiles and passenger systems being proposed by the petitioner to<BR>determine the extent of cabin exposure times and how the oxygen system design will<BR>aid/affect the aircraft occupants in the event of a high altitude explosive decompression.”<BR>ALPA adds, “Passenger cabin masks are not designed to provide protection against hypoxia<BR>above FL 400 (40,000 feet). These masks provide no protection against DCS . Before considering granting this exemption, recommend study of the level of<BR>protection provided by current masks above FL400.”<BR>6<BR>4. Various statements in Petition for Exemption<BR>The commenters opposing a grant of the petition, i.e., AFA and ALPA, also took issue with<BR>various statements in the petition. Although the FAA reviewed and considered all of these<BR>comments, we responded explicitly only to those that were directly pertinent to our analysis. For<BR>example, AFA says that a certain conclusion stated by Airbus is based on a certain assumption.<BR>The FAA agrees that making a different assumption would lead to a different conclusion, but we<BR>do not find that the statement in the petition directly affects our analysis.<BR>The FAA has carefully considered all the comments received and has taken them into account in<BR>our analysis of the Petition for Exemption submitted by Airbus. We acknowledge the need for<BR>additional research on the effects of exposure to high altitude cabin pressure—particularly<BR>research about its effects on people of various ages and those with circulatory, respiratory, or<BR>other diseases. We also acknowledge the need for validation of the DEI methodology<BR>recommended in the MSHWG’s Final Report and in our Interim Policy on Amendment 25-87<BR>Requirements. Even though the FAA plans to conduct additional research on this subject, we<BR>find that sufficient data, including service history, is available to support this proposed<BR>exemption for the Model A380-800. In the following section, we consider comments on the<BR>Airbus petition in greater detail.<BR>The FAA’s Analysis of the Petition<BR>1. Need for exemption<BR>Airbus requests relief from § 25.841(a)(2)(i) which specifies that cabin pressure altitude may not<BR>exceed 25,000 feet for more than 2 minutes after decompression from any failure condition not<BR>shown to be extremely improbable. A grant of exemption from this regulation would allow the<BR>Model A380-800 to take longer than 2 minutes to descend from 43,000 feet to 25,000 feet after<BR>such decompression.<BR>Airbus also requests relief from § 25.841(a)(2)(ii) which specifies that cabin pressure altitude<BR>may not exceed 40,000 feet for any duration after decompression from any failure condition not<BR>shown to be extremely improbable. A grant of exemption from this regulation would allow the<BR>Model A380-800 cabin pressure altitude to exceed 40,000 feet after such decompression.<BR>Based upon data received from Airbus, the FAA’s analysis confirms that the design of the<BR>A380-800 meets the requirements of § 25.841(a)(2)(i) and (ii) for all system and structural<BR>failures but not for all types of engine failures. For some uncontained engine rotor failures that<BR>result in pressure vessel penetration by fragments, the design of the A380-800 does not meet the<BR>requirements of § 25.841(a)(2)(i) and (ii). A grant of exemption from this regulation would<BR>allow the Model A380-800 to operate up to 43,000 feet, which could briefly expose cabin<BR>occupants to this altitude in the event of a worst-case decompression.<BR>7<BR>Finally, Airbus requests relief from § 25.841(a)(3) which requires that an airplane manufacturer<BR>consider fuselage structure, engine, and system failures when evaluating the cabin pressure<BR>altitude following a decompression due to one of these failure events. As noted in the preamble<BR>to this regulation,<BR>“Possible modes of failure to be evaluated include malfunctions and damage from<BR>external sources such as tire burst, wheel failure, uncontained engine failure, engine fan,<BR>compressor or turbine multi blade failure, and loss of antennas….”<BR>FAA’s analysis shows that Airbus did include these failures in its analysis. Therefore, the<BR>petitioner complies with § 25.841(a)(3), obviating the need for an exemption from it.<BR>2. Conformance with applicable FAA policy<BR>The FAA reviewed this petition in the context of the MSHWG Final Report on § 25.841(a)(2)<BR>and (a)(3) and of our Interim Policy on Amendment 25-87 Requirements. The Interim Policy<BR>applies only to those decompression events which are due to uncontained engine rotor failure.<BR>The basis of the Interim Policy is data from research on the response of humans and other<BR>primates to changes in ambient pressure. Evaluation of this data indicates that there is a direct<BR>correlation between the alveolar partial pressure of oxygen time integral and the likelihood of<BR>fatalities or permanent physiological damage to those exposed to such pressure changes. That is,<BR>as the value of the integral increases, the likelihood of fatalities or permanent physiological<BR>damage also increases. The FAA has issued a final version of our Interim Policy which uses a<BR>table of altitudes and cumulative exposure times in lieu of the pressure-time integral. The values<BR>of altitude and time in the table and the results of the pressure-time integral method are in<BR>agreement.<BR>Accordingly, our Interim Policy focuses on minimizing the likelihood that—if a person is<BR>exposed to high altitude cabin pressure from any failure not shown to be extremely improbable—<BR>he will suffer permanent physiological damage. To analyze petitions for exemption from<BR>§ 25.841(a)(2), the FAA requires information about emergency descent rates, any design features<BR>that increase such rates, other design features that offset the inherent increased risk of exposure<BR>to high altitude cabin pressure, and operational procedures.<BR>As stated above and in our Interim Policy, the FAA acknowledges that there is a lack of relevant<BR>data on the effects of exposure to high altitude cabin pressure following decompression and,<BR>particularly, those effects on people of various ages, people with circulatory or respiratory<BR>diseases or certain other medical conditions.<BR>The FAA supports a research program to gather additional information on the effects of exposure<BR>to high altitude cabin pressure. We envision that such research would be conducted in<BR>conjunction with rulemaking to develop a new standard for cabin pressure altitude following<BR>decompression.<BR>8<BR>Our review of the Airbus petition indicates that Airbus used the methodology recommended in<BR>the FAA’s Interim Policy. The FAA believes that this methodology is conservative in the sense<BR>that it assumes a lower partial pressure of oxygen than would likely be present during<BR>decompression at 43,000 feet.<BR>Airbus provided descent profiles for the A380, based on conservative estimates of descent<BR>performance for several failure scenarios, as described in the FAA’s Interim Policy. The descent<BR>profiles indicate that the A380 can descend rapidly from 43,000 feet altitude to below 25,000<BR>feet.<BR>Airbus also performed a depressurization analysis, based upon maximum cruise flight conditions,<BR>defined the envelope of vulnerability of passengers following failures that result in a<BR>decompression, and identified design and operational features of the A380 which would mitigate<BR>the effects of an increase in cabin pressure altitude.<BR>The decompression analysis used several measures recommended in the Final Report of the<BR>MSHWG. Specifically, Airbus estimated the severity of exposure to high altitude cabin pressure<BR>for occupants, based on calculation of a Depressurization Exposure Integral (DEI). The analysis<BR>also considers the relationship between cabin pressure and the Depressurization Severity<BR>Indicator (DSI), a measure of the partial pressure of oxygen. The analysis indicates that the<BR>physiological effect of a slight increase in the length of time spent above 25,000 feet is within the<BR>uncertainty band of available physiological data. The Airbus analysis also shows that—for all of<BR>the failures modes reviewed for this exemption—resultant DSI levels were much less than the<BR>critical value recommended by the MSHWG.<BR>The FAA reviewed information provided by Airbus about design features and operational<BR>procedures that would increase the descent capability of the A380 and/or occupant survival. We<BR>concluded that the design features and operational procedures associated with rapid<BR>decompression followed by an emergency descent support grant of an exemption.<BR>3. Review of historical data and research<BR>FAA reviewed databases from our own National Aviation Safety Data Analysis Center, covering<BR>1959 to the present. Since 1959 there have been approximately 3,000 instances of<BR>loss-of-cabin-pressure. The vast majority of these have been caused by system failures, (e.g.,<BR>cabin pressurization controller failures and valve failures) and structural failures, (e.g., door seal<BR>failures) which have typically been recognized at low altitude within a few minutes after takeoff.<BR>Pilot error has also contributed to the number of events. The majority of these events have not<BR>subjected the occupants to exposures above 25,000 feet (an altitude considered physiologically<BR>significant). Indeed, the cabin pressure altitude in most events did not exceed 15,000 feet (the<BR>cabin pressure altitude at which passenger oxygen masks are deployed).<BR>Similarly, uncontained engine rotor burst failures tend to be very rare. A simple calculation<BR>shows that grouping all engines and transport airplanes together yields an average probability of<BR>an uncontained engine failure at cruise of approximately 1x10-7 per engine hour. New engine<BR>designs appear to reduce this probability by an order of magnitude. We found, as noted in the<BR>9<BR>MSHWG report on § 25.841(a), that no fatalities from hypoxia were due to in-flight rapid<BR>decompression events as envisioned by Amendment 25-87. The data indicate that<BR>decompression is not a significant cause of fatalities. It is because these events are so rare that<BR>the FAA considers the risk to be acceptable.<BR>In addition, Airbus provided the FAA with proprietary data from its analysis of uncontained<BR>engine rotor failures and the size and number of holes in the fuselage resulting from such failures.<BR>Using historical data, the petitioner performed decompression analysis for several scenarios.<BR>Airbus analyzed the probability of uncontained engine rotor failure and of penetration of the<BR>fuselage of the A380 from fragments of various sizes resulting from such failures. This analysis<BR>was used to assess the threat of such an event to occupants of the airplane.<BR>The FAA concurs with the petitioner that uncontained engine rotor failures are rare events, and<BR>this consideration had a bearing on the granting of the exemption. Our analysis in this case is in<BR>contrast to our analysis of an earlier petition for exemption from a different applicant for an<BR>airplane with a lower cruise altitude. The petition submitted by the previous applicant included<BR>estimates of the probability of occurrence of an uncontained engine rotor failure. In that case,<BR>the altitude excursion above 40,000 feet was less than 1,000 feet. We concluded that the risk<BR>associated with exposure of the occupants to the slightly higher altitude was essentially the same<BR>as the risk of exposure at 40,000 feet. In other words, the risk from exposure at altitude was<BR>essentially the same with or without the grant of the exemption. Therefore, the rarity of<BR>uncontained engine rotor failures did not significantly enter into consideration regarding the<BR>previous grant of exemption.<BR>4. Holes from uncontained engine rotor failure<BR>The FAA evaluated both the Airbus approach and the method suggested by one of the<BR>commenters for determining the size of holes in the fuselage and/or wings caused by uncontained<BR>engine rotor failure. We concluded that each method makes some assumptions which one could<BR>question. However, this issue is not of great significance since the FAA required Airbus to<BR>assume a failure which produced a very large hole in the fuselage, causing a sudden<BR>decompression. Airbus evaluated this scenario and provided the results in its petition.<BR>5. Use of supplemental oxygen<BR>In terms of the comment that “…were the FAA to allow this exemption, we strongly urge the<BR>FAA to do so only after ensuring that each and every one of the following MSHWG<BR>recommendations (Reference 2, pp. 41-42) are first incorporated into the A380 design and<BR>operational plan….” As discussed below, the FAA has analyzed the Airbus petition in the<BR>context of those recommendations, the part 25 requirements pertaining to supplemental oxygen,<BR>and certain technical standards for supplemental oxygen equipment.<BR>Section 25.1441(d) requires approval of oxygen equipment for airplanes that are approved to<BR>operate above 40,000 feet altitude. Section 25.1443 specifies the minimum mass flow of<BR>supplemental oxygen for flight crew and passenger oxygen systems up to a cabin altitude of<BR>40,000 feet. Part 25 does not contain standards for oxygen systems above 40,000 feet. However,<BR>10<BR>FAA Technical Standard Orders (TSOs) provide requirements for diluter demand pressure<BR>breathing regulators (TSO-89) and demand oxygen masks (TSO-78) up to 45,000 feet. In<BR>addition, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Standard AS 8027 provides specifications<BR>for diluter demand pressure breathing regulators up to 45,000 feet. It is the FAA’s understanding<BR>that no diluter demand pressure breathing regulators available for commercial airplanes meet all<BR>the requirements of TSO-89 or AS 8027.<BR>As part of the validation work on the A380-800, the FAA requested that Airbus propose<BR>performance standards for fixed and portable oxygen systems for the flight crew, flight<BR>attendants, and passengers to use between 40,000 and 43,000 feet cabin altitude. We also<BR>requested that Airbus substantiate the adequacy of the proposed performance standards. Airbus<BR>provided test results and analysis which substantiate that the proposed standards for oxygen<BR>pressure breathing equipment would adequately protect the flight crew in the event of<BR>decompression to 43,000 feet.<BR>Flight crew pressure breathing equipment requires training to ensure effective use. Pressure<BR>breathing requires physical effort to exhale and minimal effort to inhale. This reversal of the<BR>normal breathing cycle can lead to hyperventilation. Training of passengers to use pressure<BR>breathing equipment safely is considered impractical. The FAA determined that an acceptable<BR>means of compliance for the fixed and portable oxygen systems used by flight attendants and<BR>passengers would be to install oxygen equipment that is certificated to 40,000 feet and limit<BR>exposure to the reduced pressure environment above 40,000 feet via airplane descent<BR>performance. The FAA believes that, ultimately, occupant survival during a decompression<BR>event depends upon swift descent to a lower altitude. In its review of the petitioner’s airplane<BR>descent profile, the FAA finds that the A380-800 can descend at acceptable rates.<BR>6. Conclusion of FAA analysis<BR>Permitting airplanes to fly above 40,000 feet does offer real and tangible benefits to the<BR>aerospace industry, the traveling public, and the U.S. economy by reducing congestion,<BR>improving fuel economy, and reducing pollution. If compliance with § 25.841 at Amendment<BR>25-87 were to limit airplanes operations to a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet, it would impose a<BR>significant disadvantage on newly designed airplanes that have many safety advantages over<BR>older airplanes currently allowed to operate at higher altitudes. This would delay the<BR>introduction of these airplanes and the benefits of their more advanced technology.<BR>Based upon its evaluation of the data and analysis provided by Airbus, the FAA has determined<BR>that there is sufficient justification for a partial grant of exemption from § 25.841(a)(2)(i) and (ii).<BR>This partial grant of exemption takes into account operating rules in 14 CFR parts 91, 121 and<BR>135 which require (a) that one pilot wear and use his oxygen mask when operating above 41,000<BR>feet altitude and (b) that an adequate quantity of oxygen is provided for crew operations. This<BR>partial grant of exemption is also premised on the condition that—in the Airplane Maintenance<BR>Manual—the airplane manufacturer and the airline operator include any required maintenance<BR>and checks of supplemental oxygen systems prior to each flight. In addition, this partial grant of<BR>exemption is premised on the condition that—if dispatch is deemed appropriate with a<BR>11<BR>malfunctioning system that is required to ensure that the airplane is capable of performing an<BR>emergency descent (i.e., spoilers fully deployed, if appropriate; maximum descent rate;<BR>maximum operating limit VMO/MMO speed)—then the Master Minimum Equipment List (MMEL)<BR>must limit dispatch to a maximum flight altitude of 40,000 feet, unless other regulations or<BR>limitations require a lower altitude. Though VMO/MMO is normally the best speed for a rapid<BR>decompression descent, the pilots should follow the recommended emergency descent<BR>procedures in the AFM.<BR>The applicable rapid decompression procedures for the flightcrew must be included in the<BR>emergency procedures section of the Airplane Flight Manual. This information should also be<BR>included in the Airbus Flight Crew Operating Manual. Note that initial and recurrent emergency<BR>training for all crewmembers, in accordance with §§ 121.397, 121.417, and 121.427, must<BR>include training for a rapid decompression and donning of oxygen masks.<BR>The Partial Grant of Exemption<BR>In consideration of the foregoing, I find that a partial grant of exemption is in the pubic interest<BR>regarding 14 CFR 25.841(a)(2)(i), and 25.841(a)(2)(ii) as amended by Amendment 25-87.<BR>Therefore, pursuant to the authority contained in 49 U.S.C. 40113 and 44701, delegated to me by<BR>the Administrator, the petition of Airbus for an exemption from the requirement of<BR>14 CFR 25.841(a)(2)(i), and 25.841(a)(2)(ii), as amended by Amendment 25-87, is granted.<BR>Regarding the provisions of § 25.841(a)(3), the petitioner complies with the regulation, since its<BR>analysis did consider fuselage structure, engine failures, and system failures. Therefore, relief<BR>from this requirement is not necessary.<BR>The partial grant of exemption from § 25.841(a)(2)(ii) will permit cabin pressure altitude to<BR>exceed 40,000 feet for 1 minute (but not to exceed 43,000 feet for any duration) after<BR>decompression from any uncontained engine failure condition not shown to be extremely<BR>improbable. The partial grant of exemption from § 25.841(a)(2)(i) will permit cabin pressure<BR>altitude to exceed 25,000 feet for more than 2 minutes (but not more than 3 minutes) after<BR>decompression from any uncontained engine failure condition not shown to be extremely<BR>improbable, allowing time for the airplane to descend from an altitude of 43,000 feet to 25,000<BR>feet.<BR>12<BR>This partial grant of exemption is subject to the following conditions:<BR>1. The Airplane Flight Manual for the A380-800 must indicate that the maximum<BR>indicated operating pressure altitude is 43,000 feet.<BR>2. The Airplane Flight Manual must contain applicable flightdeck crew procedures for<BR>rapid decompression event. The section of the Airplane Flight Manual for the A380-800 which<BR>pertains to actions in the event of a decompression must state that the flightdeck crew should<BR>initiate a descent at the maximum rate of descent and safe descent speed, which is typically the<BR>maximum operating speed (VMO/MMO) assuming structural integrity of the airplane.<BR>3. The petitioner must submit certification flight test data for the Model A380-800 that<BR>corroborate the descent profiles used in the analysis to show that after decompression at an<BR>airplane indicated operating pressure altitude of 43,000 feet, the cabin pressure altitude will not<BR>exceed 25,000 feet for more than 3 minutes or 40,000 feet for more than 1 minute.<BR>4. If dispatch is deemed appropriate with a malfunctioning system that is required to<BR>ensure the airplane is capable of performing an emergency descent, then the Master Minimum<BR>Equipment List (MMEL) must limit dispatch to a maximum flight altitude of 40,000 feet, unless<BR>other regulations or limitations require a lower altitude.<BR>Issued in Renton, Washington, on March 24, 2006.<BR>/s/<BR>Ali Bahrami<BR>Manager<BR>Transport Airplane Directorate<BR>Aircraft Certification Service

dexmonk 发表于 2012-4-20 00:17:11

学了几年英语,感觉越学越差,都快看不懂了
页: [1]
查看完整版本: PARTIAL GRANT OF EXEMPTION