2016-30246: Revision of Airworthiness Standards for Normal, Utility, Acrobatic, and Commuter Category Airplanes

Summary

The FAA amends its airworthiness standards for normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes by replacing current prescriptive design requirements with performance-based airworthiness standards. These standards also replace the current weight and propulsion divisions in small airplane regulations with performance- and risk-based divisions for airplanes with a maximum seating capacity of 19 passengers or less and a maximum takeoff weight of 19,000 pounds or less. These airworthiness standards are based on, and will maintain, the level of safety of the current small airplane regulations, except for areas addressing loss of control and icing, for which the safety level has been increased. The FAA adopts additional airworthiness standards to address certification for flight in icing conditions, enhanced stall characteristics, and minimum control speed to prevent departure from controlled flight for multiengine airplanes. This rulemaking is in response to the Congressional mandate set forth in the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 7 parts of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 14 CFR 21 Certification Procedures for Products and Articles
• 14 CFR 23 Airworthiness Standards: Normal Category Airplanes
• 14 CFR 35 Airworthiness Standards: Propellers
• 14 CFR 43 Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration
• 14 CFR 91 General Operating and Flight Rules
• 14 CFR 121 Operating Requirements: Domestic, Flag, and Supplemental Operations
• 14 CFR 135 Operating Requirements: Commuter and on Demand Operations and Rules Governing Persons on Board Such Aircraft