[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 52734]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21536]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
Underwater Locating Devices (Acoustic) (Self-Powered)
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of the planned revocation of the Technical Standard
Order (TSO) authorizations (TSOA) for TSO-C121 and C121a, Underwater
Locating Devices (ULD), and request for public comment.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces the planned revocation of all Technical
Standard Order authorizations (TSOA) issued for the production of
Underwater Locating Devices (Acoustic) (Self-Powered) manufactured to
the TSO-C121 and TSO-C121a specifications. These actions are necessary
because the planned issuance of TSO-C121b, Underwater Locating Devices
(Acoustic) (Self-Powered), with a minimum performance standard (MPS)
that will increase the minimum operating life of Underwater Locating
Devices from 30 days to 90 days.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before November 21, 2011.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Gregory Borsari, AIR-130, Federal
Aviation Administration, 470 L'Enfant Plaza, Suite 4102, Washington, DC
20024. Telephone (202) 385-4578, fax (202) 385-4651, e-mail to:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Comments Invited
You are invited to comment on the revocation of the TSOAs granted
for TSO-C121 and C121a, by submitting written data, views, or arguments
to the above address. Comments received may be examined, both before
and after the closing date, at the above address, weekdays except
federal holidays, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The Director,
Aircraft Certification Service, will consider all comments received on
or before the closing date.
Background
On May 31, 2009, an Airbus A330-203 operated by Air France as
flight number 447 (AF 447), bound for the Charles de Gaulle Airport,
Paris, France, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 2 hours and 10 minutes
after taking off from Rio de Janeiro's, Gale[atilde]o Airport. Search
and rescue operations were conducted by the French and Brazilian
authorities but the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder
were not recovered until April 2011 during a fourth search and recovery
effort.
The Bureau d'Enqu[ecirc]tes et d'Analyses pour la
S[eacute]curit[eacute] de L'aviation Civile (BEA), which is the
authority responsible for the investigation of the AF 447 accident,
released a second interim report, dated December 17, 2009. The report
includes safety recommendations to the European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), one of
which is to ``extend as rapidly as possible to 90 days the regulatory
transmission time for underwater locator beacons installed on flight
recorders on airplanes performing public transport flights over
maritime areas.'' The FAA agrees with the BEA's recommendation, and via
a letter dated January 28, 2010, requested that SAE International form
an industry working group to revise the minimum performance standard
(MPS), AS8045, Underwater Locating Devices (Acoustic) (Self-Powered),
to increase the minimum operating life of Underwater Locating Devices
(Acoustic) (Self-Powered), from 30 days to 90 days. SAE International
published AS8045A, dated August 3, 2011. The FAA will revise TSO-C121a
to invoke the new SAE standard. When TSO-C121b is published the FAA
will withdraw TSO-C121 and TSO-C121a authorizations no later than March
1, 2014. All Underwater Locating Devices (Acoustic) (Self-Powered)
equipment manufacturers seeking TSO authorization will need to obtain
authorization to manufacture in accordance with TSO-C121b.
Issued in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2011.
Susan J.M. Cabler,
Assistant Manager, Aircraft Engineering Division, Aircraft
Certification Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-21536 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
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