October 22, 2018 Ms. Lirio Liu Director, Office of Rulemaking Designated Federal Official for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Federal Aviation Administration 800 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20591 RE: Transport Airplane Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group Recommendation Report; Approved Direction of ARAC at September 20, 2018, Meeting Dear Ms. Liu, Attached is the Recommendation Report of the Transport Airplane Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group (TACDWG), a Working Group established under the Transport Airplane and Engine (TAE) Subcommittee. This report was approved by the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) on September 20, 2018, in accordance with the following stipulations: 1. Pages 2-3 of the report submitted to ARAC prior to the September 20, 2018, meeting were directed by ARAC to be removed. 2. The record was ordered to be kept open until October 20, 2018, to allow for the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) to submit a dissent to the report’s Executive Summary. 3. The AFA’s dissent was ordered to be inserted into the report directly after the report’s Executive Summary. I have confirmed the actions directed by ARAC have been followed, therefore, on behalf of the ARAC members, please accept the attached TACDWG Recommendation Report and forward it to the relevant program offices within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Please also accept the TACDWG’s report as completion of its tasking, See 80 Fed. Reg. 31946 (June 4, 2015). Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. Thank you very much. Sincerely yours, Yvette A. Rose ARAC Chair cc: David Oord, ARAC Vice Chair Kevin Davis, Boeing, TACDWG Chair Keith Morgan, Pratt & Whitney, TAE Chair Chris Witkowski, Association of Flight Attendants, ARAC Member Transport Aircraft Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group Report to FAA RELEASE/REVISION RELEASE DATE B 20 September 2018 CONTENT OWNER: Transport Aircraft Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group All revisions to this document must be approved by the content owner before release. Transport Aircraft Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group Report to FAA Final, 15 December 2017 2 of 222 Transport Aircraft Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group Report to FAA Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................ 6 1 Introduction and Background ..................................................................................... 8 2 TACDWG Tasking ..................................................................................................... 9 2.1 Working Group Members ................................................................................ 10 2.2 Working Group Meetings ................................................................................ 11 2.3 Determination of Consensus ........................................................................... 12 3 Working Group Team Structure and Goals .............................................................. 13 3.1 Sub-Team 1 – In Service Data Evaluation ...................................................... 13 3.2 Sub-Team 2 – Crashworthiness ...................................................................... 13 3.3 Sub-Team 3 – Ditching ................................................................................... 13 3.4 Sub-Team 4 – Equipage and Protocol ............................................................ 13 4 Rule and Guidance Recommendations ................................................................... 14 4.1 Sub-Team 1 – In Service Data Evaluation ...................................................... 14 4.1.1 Data and Events Considered.................................................................. 14 4.1.1.1 In Service Events .......................................................................... 14 4.1.1.2 Applicable Tests ............................................................................ 15 4.2 Sub-Team 2 – Crashworthiness ...................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Detail Investigations ............................................................................... 15 4.2.1.1 Configuration Assessments ........................................................... 15 4.2.1.2 Determination of Vertical Impact Velocity Requirements ............... 15 4.2.1.3 Assessment of Passenger Compartment ....................................... 24 4.2.1.4 Aircraft Applicability ....................................................................... 24 4.2.1.5 Use of Similarity ............................................................................ 25 4.2.2 Proposed Rule Recommendation ........................................................... 26 4.2.3 Proposed Guidance Recommendation ................................................... 28 4.2.4 Considerations for Harmonization with NAA ........................................... 28 4.2.5 Cost / Benefit Assessment ..................................................................... 28 4.2.5.1 Changes in requirements affecting applicant cost/benefit .............. 28 4.2.5.2 Cost Benefit Assessment for Crashworthiness .............................. 29 4.3 Sub-Team 3 – Ditching ................................................................................... 41 4.3.1 Proposed Rule Recommendation ........................................................... 41 4.3.2 Proposed Guidance Recommendation ................................................... 42 4.3.3 Detail Investigations ............................................................................... 42 4.3.3.1 Hazard Assessment ...................................................................... 42 4.3.3.2 Large Breach ................................................................................. 51 4.3.3.3 Controlled Ditching ........................................................................ 52 4.3.3.4 No Engine Power or Reduced Engine Power ................................ 53 4.3.3.5 Variation of Parameters ................................................................. 55 4.3.3.6 Assessment of In Service Events .................................................. 56 4.3.4 Considerations for Harmonization with NAA ........................................... 57 4.3.5 Cost / Benefit Assessment ..................................................................... 57 Final, 15 December 2017 3 of 222 Transport Aircraft Crashworthiness and Ditching Working Group Report to FAA 4.3.5.1 Changes in requirements affecting applicant cost/benefit .............. 57 4.3.5.2 Cost Benefit Data from Team 3 ..................................................... 58 4.4 Sub-Team 4 – Equipage and Protocol ............................................................ 61 4.4.1 Proposed Rule Recommendations ......................................................... 61 4.4.1.1 Outside viewing requirements for emergency exits – 14 CFR 25.809(a) ....................................................................................... 62 4.4.1.2 Escape Slide Deployment Time Requirements – 14 CFR 25.810(a)(1)(ii)............................................................................... 65 4.4.1.3 Emergency Exit Descent Device Stowage – 14 CFR 25.1411(c) ..................................................................................... 67 4.4.1.4 Symbolic Symbols – 14 CFR §§ 25.811(g), 25.812(b)(1) and (2) Amdt 25-128 ............................................................................ 68 4.4.1.5 Active Restraints – 14 CFR 25.785 ................................................ 71 4.4.1.6 Life Preserver Requirement for Part 25 Aircraft 14 CFR §§ 25.1411, 25.1415 .......................................................................... 77 4.4.1.7 Life Lines – 14 CFR §§ 25.1411(g), 91.509(b)(5) .......................... 80 4.4.1.8 Survival Equipment for Rafts– 14 CFR § 25.1415(c) ..................... 85 4.4.1.9 Reorganization 14 CFR §§ 25.1411, 25.1415 ................................ 89 4.4.2 Considerations for Harmonization with NAA ........................................... 92 4.4.3 Cost / Benefit Assessment ..................................................................... 92 5 Comments/Issues with Findings .............................................................................. 95 5.1 Crashworthiness ............................................................................................. 95 5.1.1 Comments / Issues ................................................................................ 95 5.1.2 Future Considerations ............................................................................ 95 5.2 Ditching .......................................................................................................... 95 5.2.1 Comments / Issues ................................................................................ 95 5.2.2 Future Considerations ............................................................................ 95 5.3 Equipage and Protocol ................................................................................... 95 5.3.1 Comments / Issues ................................................................................ 96 5.3.2 Future Considerations ............................................................................ 96 5.4 Identification of Issues beyond the Tasking .................................................... 96 6 Recommendations..................................................................................................