Stage: Final Publications

Regulatory Agency Final Publications

FAA Notice N8900_606 Use of Air Carrier Pilots During Flight Standardization Board Evaluations for Transport Airplanes

This notice provides information and guidance to the Aircraft
Evaluation Division (AED) (AFS-100) regarding the use of domestic and foreign air carrier
pilots during Flight Standardization Board (FSB) operational evaluations. Based on the
implementation of Section 128 of the Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act
of 2021 (ACSAA), the FSB’s procedures must now include the use of air carrier pilots of
varying levels of experience for transport airplane type certification projects.

EASA ED Decision 2021/016/R Rotorcraft chip detection systems and Rotorcraft occupant safety in the event of a bird strike

The objectives of this Decision are to:

  • improve rotorcraft safety by ensuring that the chip detection systems that are installed in rotorcraft rotor drive systems achieve an acceptable minimum level of effectiveness in detecting the incipient degradation or failure of components of the rotor drive system; and
  • improve rotorcraft occupant safety in the event of a bird strike.

This Decision amends:

  • the Certification Specifications, Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material for Small Rotorcraft (CS-27) and the Certification Specifications, Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material for Large Rotorcraft (CS-29) to introduce:
    • certification specifications (CSs) for the effectiveness demonstration of chip detection systems; and
    • related acceptable means of compliance (AMC) and guidance material (GM);
  • CS-27 to introduce:
    • a design CS (CS 27.631 ‘Bird strike’) to ensure safe landing after a bird strike on the windshield of rotorcraft with six or more passenger seats; and
    • the related AMC to support the application of that CS; and
  • CS-29 to:
    • improve the wording of CS 29.631 ‘Bird strike’; and
    • introduce related AMC to support the application of that CS.

The amendments are expected to:

  • increase the safety of rotorcraft rotor drive systems by improving their designs; and
  • increase the safety of newly designed small-rotorcraft (CS-27) operations.

The amendments will have no significant economic impact, and no environmental or social impacts.

AMOC Docket No. faa-2021-1158; Notice No. 107-21-01-NOA Accepted Means of Compliance; Operations Over Human Beings, Category 2 and Category 3 Small Unmanned Aircraft

This document announces the
acceptance of a means of compliance
(MOC) in accordance with a rule issued
by the FAA on January 21, 2021, and
went into effect on April 21, 2021. The
Administrator finds the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (VT
MAAP) MOC Version 1.0 an acceptable
means, but not the only means, of
demonstrating compliance with the
requirements of Category 2 and Category
3 small unmanned aircraft systems
(small UAS) operations over people

FAA AD; Transport and Commuter Category Airplanes (5G C-Band Interference)

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all transport and commuter category airplanes equipped with a radio (also known as radar) altimeter. This AD was prompted by a determination that radio altimeters cannot be relied upon to perform their intended function if they experience interference from wireless broadband operations in the 3.7-3.98 GHz frequency band (5G C-Band). This AD requires revising the limitations section of the existing airplane/aircraft flight manual (AFM) to incorporate limitations prohibiting certain operations requiring radio altimeter data when in the presence of 5G C-Band interference as identified by Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs). The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.