[Federal Register: March 3, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 41)]
[Notices]
[Page 10470-10471]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr03mr05-98]
[[Page 10470]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Consensus Standards, Light-Sport Aircraft
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of certain consensus
standards relating to the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport
Aircraft rule issued July 16, 2004, and effective September 1, 2004.
ASTM International Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft developed
these standards with FAA participation. By this Notice, the FAA finds
these standards acceptable for certification of the specified aircraft
under the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 2, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to: Federal Aviation Administration,
Small Airplane Directorate, Programs and Procedures Branch, ACE-114,
Attention: Larry Werth, Room 301, 901 Locust, Kansas City, Missouri
64106. Comments may also be e-mailed to:
Comments-on-LSA-Standard@faa.gov. All comments must be marked: Consensus Standards
Comments, and must specify the standard being addressed by ASTM
designation and title.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Werth, Light-Sport Aircraft
Program Manager, Programs and Procedures Branch (ACE-114), Small
Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service, Federal Aviation
Administration, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Missouri 64106;
telephone (816) 329-4147; e-mail: larry.werth@faa.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces the availability of
certain consensus standards relating to the provisions of the Sport
Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule. ASTM International Committee F37
on Light Sport Aircraft developed these standards.
Comments Invited: Interested persons are invited to submit such
written data, views, or arguments, as they may desire. Communications
should identify the consensus standard number and be submitted to the
address specified above. All communications received on or before the
closing date for comments will be forwarded to ASTM International
Committee F37 for consideration. The standards may be changed in light
of the comments received. The FAA will address all comments received
during the recurring review of the consensus standards and will
participate in the consensus standards revision process.
Background: Under the provisions of the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport
Aircraft rule, and revised 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'', dated February 10, 1998, industry and the FAA have been
working with ASTM International to develop consensus standards for
light-sport aircraft. These consensus standards satisfy the FAA's goal
for airworthiness certification and a verifiable minimum safety level
for light-sport aircraft. Instead of developing airworthiness standards
through the rulemaking process, the FAA participates as a member of
Committee F37 in developing these standards. The use of the consensus
standard process assures government and industry discussion and
agreement on appropriate standards for the required level of safety.
The FAA has reviewed the fifteen standards presented in this NOA
for compliance with the regulatory requirements of the rule. Any light-
sport aircraft issued a special light-sport airworthiness certificate,
which has been designed, manufactured, operated and maintained, in
accordance with these consensus standards provides the public with the
appropriate level of safety established under the regulations.
Manufacturers who choose to produce these aircraft and certificate
these aircraft under 14 CFR part 21, Sec. Sec. 21.190 or 21.191 are
subject to the applicable consensus standard requirements. The FAA will
post a listing of all accepted standards at afs600.faa.gov.
In developing the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule, the
FAA had expected that certain consensus standards, such as quality
assurance and continued airworthiness, would be similar across the
range of light-sport aircraft. For the consensus standards found
acceptable in this NOA, the FAA acknowledges that there are differences
in depth and detail of the consensus standards between light-sport
airplanes and the other light-sport aircraft. The FAA will monitor
service experience to see if differences in aircraft complexity
continue to justify these differences.
The consensus standards listed in this notice are the standards
that are currently approved by ASTM International Committee F37. The
FAA is aware that the committee continues the development of additional
consensus standards including some that are needed to certificate
aircraft under 14 CFR, part 21, Sec. Sec. 21.190 or 21.191. This
ongoing work involves:
a. Sailplane design, quality assurance, and continued operational
safety.
b. Powered parachute wing interface documentation.
c. Weight shift aircraft design, continued airworthiness, quality
assurance, production testing, design testing, and required product
information.
d. Light-sport aircraft required equipment information.
e. Light-sport aircraft propeller design.
f. Lighter than air design, and required product information.
g. Gyroplane quality assurance.
h. Maintenance manual content.
i. Guide for noise.
The FAA anticipates that these additional standards will be
available in the near future. The FAA will review all forthcoming
standards for compliance to appropriate regulatory requirements, and
will publish notices of availability as these are finalized.
The Effective Period of Use
The consensus standards listed in this notice may be used unless
the FAA publishes a specific notification otherwise.
The Consensus Standards
The FAA finds the following consensus standards acceptable for
certification of the specified aircraft under the provisions of the
Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule:
a. ASTM Designation 2240-03, titled: Standard Specification for
Manufacturer Quality Assurance Program for Powered Parachute
Aircraft.
b. ASTM Designation 2241-03, titled: Standard Specification for
Continued Airworthiness System for Powered Parachute Aircraft.
c. ASTM Designation 2242-03, titled: Standard Specification for
Production Acceptance Testing System for Powered Parachute Aircraft.
d. ASTM Designation 2243-03, titled: Standard Specification for
Required Product Information to be provided with Powered Parachute
Aircraft.
e. ASTM Designation 2244-03, titled: Standard Specification for
Design and Performance Requirements for Powered Parachute Aircraft.
f. ASTM Designation F2245-04, titled: Standard Specification for
the Design and Performance of a Light Sport Airplane.
g. ASTM Designation F2279-03, titled: Standard Practice for
Quality Assurance in the Manufacture of Light Sport Airplanes.
h. ASTM Designation F2295-03, titled: Standard Practice for the
Continued
[[Page 10471]]
Operational Safety Monitoring of a Light Sport Airplane.
i. ASTM Designation F2316-03, titled: Standard Specification for
Airframe Emergency Parachutes for Light Sport Aircraft.
j. ASTM Designation F2339-04, titled: Standard Practice for the
Design and Manufacture of Reciprocating Spark Ignition Engines for
Light Sport Aircraft.
k. ASTM Designation F2352-04, titled: Standard Specification for
Design and Performance of Light Sport Gyroplane Aircraft.
l. ASTM Designation F2353-04, titled: Standard Specification for
Manufacturers Quality Assurance Program for Lighter Than Air Light
Sport Aircraft.
m. ASTM Designation F2354-04, titled: Standard Specification for
Continued Airworthiness System for Lighter Than Air Light Sport
Aircraft.
n. ASTM Designation F2356-04, titled: Standard Specification for
Production Acceptance Testing System for Lighter Than Air Light
Sport Aircraft.
o. ASTM Designation F2415-04, titled: Standard Practice for
Continued Airworthiness System for Light Sport Gyroplane Aircraft.
The Preamble to the Sport Pilot and Light-Sport Aircraft rule
states the FAA will evaluate the service experience of gyroplanes
manufactured and operated in accordance with the applicable consensus
standards. The FAA may revise the rule based on its evaluation of
service experience permitting gyroplanes to obtain the special
airworthiness certificate for a light-sport aircraft.
Availability
The consensus standards above are copyrighted by ASTM
International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken,
PA 19428-2959. Individual reprints of these standards (single or
multiple copies, or special compilations and other related technical
information) may be obtained by contacting ASTM at this address, or at
(610) 832-9585 (phone), (610) 832-9555 (fax), through service@astm.org
(e-mail), or through the ASTM Web site at http://www.astm.org. To
inquire about standard content and/or membership, or about ASTM
International Offices abroad, contact Daniel Schultz, Staff Manager for
Committee F37 on Light Sport Aircraft: (610) 832-9716,
dschultz@astm.org.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 16, 2005.
John J. Hickey,
Director, Aircraft Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 05-4136 Filed 3-2-05; 8:45 am]
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