Rudder Reversals Task
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 59 / Monday, March 28, 2011 / Notices 17183 Below we provide FAA’s projected ACTION: Notice of new task assignment In two additional events, commonly average estimates for the next three for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory known as the Miami Flight 903 event years: 1 Committee (ARAC). and the Interflug event, pilot Current Actions: New collection of commanded pedal reversals caused information. SUMMARY: The FAA assigned ARAC a A300–600/A310 fins to experience loads Type of Review: New Collection. new task to consider whether changes to greater than their ultimate load level. Affected Public: Individuals and part 25 are necessary to address rudder Both airplanes survived because they Households, Businesses and pedal sensitivity and rudder reversals. possessed greater strength than required Organizations, State, Local or Tribal This notice is to inform the public of by the current standards. Government. this ARAC activity. In January 2008, an Airbus 319 Average Expected Annual Number of FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: encountered a wake vortex. The pilot activities: 2. Robert C. Jones, Propulsion/Mechanical responded with several pedal reversals. Respondents: 2,813. Systems Branch, ANM–112, Transport Analysis shows that this caused a fin Annual responses: 2,813. Airplane Directorate, Federal Aviation load exceeding limit load by Frequency of Response: Once per Administration, 1601 Lind Avenue, approximately 29 percent. The pilot request. SW., Renton, Washington 98057, eventually stabilized the airplane and Average minutes per response: 15. telephone (425) 227–1234, facsimile safely landed. The Transportation Safety Burden hours: 704. (425) 227–1149; e-mail Board (TSB) Canada investigated this An agency may not conduct or [email protected]. event, with the NTSB providing sponsor, and a person is not required to SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: accredited representatives. respond to, a collection of information On May 27, 2005, a de Havilland unless it displays a currently valid Background DHC–8–100 (Dash 8) airplane Office of Management and Budget The FAA established the Aviation (registration C–GZKH, serial number control number. Rulemaking Advisory Committee 117) was on a passenger revenue flight Public Comments Invited: You are (ARAC) to provide advice and from St. John’s to Deer Lake, asked to comment on any aspect of this recommendations to the FAA Newfoundland, with 36 passengers and information collection, including (a) Administrator on the FAA’s rulemaking 3 crew on board. During the climb-out Whether the proposed collection of activities with respect to aviation- from St. John’s, the indicated airspeed information is necessary for FAA’s related issues. This includes obtaining gradually decreased to the point that the performance; (b) the accuracy of the advice and recommendations on the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. estimated burden; (c) ways for FAA to FAA’s commitments to harmonize Title The airplane descended rapidly, out of enhance the quality, utility and clarity 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 control, losing 4200 feet before recovery of the information collection; and (d) CFR), with its partners in Europe, was effected approximately 40 seconds ways that the burden could be Canada, and Brazil; in this instance, on later. The incident occurred during minimized without reducing the quality rudder pedal sensitivity and rudder daylight hours in instrument of the collected information. The agency reversals. The committee will address meteorological conditions. There were will summarize and/or include your the task under the ARAC’s Transport no injuries and the airplane was not comments in the request for OMB’s Airplane and Engine Issues, and will damaged. During this event, the pilot clearance of this information collection. reestablish the Flight Controls commanded a pedal reversal. Issued in Washington, DC, on March 21, Harmonization Working Group, to assist The FAA sponsored studies 1 to 2011. in analysis of this task. understand parameters that affect the Carla Scott, Recent research shows that regardless way pilots use the rudder. These studies FAA Information Collection Clearance of training, pilots make inadvertent and included a survey of transport pilots Officer, IT Enterprises Business Services erroneous rudder inputs, some of which from all over the world and real time Division, AES–200. have resulted in pedal reversals. piloted flight simulation. One of the [FR Doc. 2011–7179 Filed 3–25–11; 8:45 am] Accident and incident data show studies found that many experienced BILLING CODE 4910–13–P airplanes that have experienced pedal pilots misused the rudder after wake reversals that surpassed the airplane’s vortex encounters. A follow-on study structural limit load and sometimes showed that the key parameter leading DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ultimate load. One case resulted in loss to excessive pedal use is short pedal of the vertical fin, the airplane and 265 travel. The analysis of a survey of large Federal Aviation Administration lives. airplane pilots found: On November 12, 2001, an Airbus 1. Pilots use the rudder more than Aviation Rulemaking Advisory A300–600 crashed at Belle Harbor on previously thought and often in ways Committee; Transport Airplane and climb-out resulting in 265 deaths and an Engine Issues—New Task airplane hull loss. The National 1 1. DOT/FAA/AM–10/14, The Rudder Survey Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Technical Report. For a copy, call Sarah Peterson AGENCY: Federal Aviation at (405) 954–6840. found ‘‘that the probable cause of this Administration (FAA), DOT. 2. DOT/FAA/AR–09–5, Pilot Simulations Study accident was the in-flight separation of to Develop Transport Aircraft Rudder Control System Requirements Phase 1 Simulator Motion 1 The 60-day notice included the following the vertical stabilizer as a result of the System Requirements and Initial Results, Authors estimate of the aggregate burden hours for this loads beyond ultimate design that were Hoh, Desrochers, Niscoll, 18 April 2007. generic clearance Federal-wide: created by the first officer’s unnecessary Note: HAI is about to release another report that Average Expected Annual Number of activities: and excessive rudder pedal inputs. has additional and more important results 25,000. Contributing to these rudder pedal (essentially that pilot tendency to over-control Average number of Respondents per Activity: correlates very strongly with pedal travel). 200. inputs were characteristics of the Airbus A300–600 rudder system design and 3. DOT/FAA/AR–10/17, Piloted Simulation Annual responses: 5,000,000. Study to Develop Transport Aircraft Rudder Control Frequency of Response: Once per request. elements of the American Airlines System Requirements Phase 2 Develop Criteria for Average minutes per response: 30. Advanced Aircraft Maneuvering Rudder Overcontrol, Authors Hoh, Desrochers, Burden hours: 2,500,000. Program.’’ Niscoll. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:08 Mar 25, 2011 Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00081 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\28MRN1.SGM 28MRN1 Emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES 17184 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 59 / Monday, March 28, 2011 / Notices not recommended by the design discourage pilots from making pedal 5. Are there any regulations or approval holders (DAHs). reversals (reduce pedal sensitivity). guidance material that might conflict 2. Pilots make erroneous pedal inputs, If ARAC determines new with the proposal? and some erroneous pedal inputs requirements are necessary, it must 6. Does current technology exist to include rudder reversals. recommend performance-based support implementation of new 3. After years of training, many pilots standards that allows manufacturers the requirements? are not aware that they should not make flexibility to design airplanes to meet 7. What are the effects and pedal reversals, even below design their needs while ensuring airplane implications of any proposed change maneuvering speed (VA). Note: Over the safety. ARAC would also need to regarding commonly used system past 4 years, training and Airplane recommend methods of compliance designs? For example, would a new Flight Manual (AFM) changes have (criteria), such as background standard cause adverse interaction with directed the pilot not to make cyclic simulation or piloted simulation, to currently used fly-by-wire flight control control inputs, but events occurred support the rule change. systems, stability augmentation or auto- despite this effort. In addition, ARAC must consider the flight systems, or with current 4. Pilots in airplane upset situations need to revise 14 CFR parts 26, 121, 125, operations? (e.g., wake vortex encounters) may 129, and 135, or to write airworthiness 8. Does the proposed solution present revert to prior training and make directives to address the safety concerns any issues relating to specific flight excessive pedal inputs that they may posed by rudder reversals in the existing phases or environmental conditions? If then counter with pedal reversals. so, what are they, and how should they The current standards in part 25 transport airplane fleet. Finally, ARAC must recommend criteria that can be be addressed? address large pedal inputs at airspeeds 9. What recommended guidance used to determine the need for retrofit. up to the design dive airspeed (VD). This material is needed? ensures safe structural airplane ARAC is expected to provide a report 10. After reviewing airworthiness characteristics throughout the flight that addresses the following