[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 78 (Friday, April 22, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 23579-23581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-09335]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA-2016-4238; Special Conditions No. 25-613-SC]
Special Conditions: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation Model GVII-
G500 Airplanes; Airplane Electronic System Security Protection From
Unauthorized External Access
AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream
Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVII-G500 airplane. These
airplanes will
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have a digital-systems network architecture composed of several
connected networks that may allow access to or by external computer
systems and networks, and may result in airplane electronic system-
security vulnerabilities. The applicable airworthiness regulations do
not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design
feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety
standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a
level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing
airworthiness standards.
DATES: This action is effective on Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation on
April 22, 2016. We must receive your comments by June 6, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Send comments identified by docket number FAA-2016-4238
using any of the following methods:
Federal eRegulations Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for sending
your comments electronically.
Mail: Send comments to Docket Operations, M-30, U.S.
Department of Transportation (DOT), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room
W12-140, West Building Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
Hand Delivery or Courier: Take comments to Docket
Operations in Room W12-140 of the West Building Ground Floor at 1200
New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
Fax: Fax comments to Docket Operations at 202-493-2251.
Privacy: The FAA will post all comments it receives, without
change, to http://www.regulations.gov/, including any personal
information the commenter provides. Using the search function of the
docket Web site, anyone can find and read the electronic form of all
comments received into any FAA docket, including the name of the
individual sending the comment (or signing the comment for an
association, business, labor union, etc.). DOT's complete Privacy Act
Statement can be found in the Federal Register published on April 11,
2000 (65 FR 19477-19478), as well as at http://DocketsInfo.dot.gov/.
Docket: Background documents or comments received may be read at
http://www.regulations.gov/ at any time. Follow the online instructions
for accessing the docket or go to Docket Operations in Room W12-140 of
the West Building Ground Floor at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE.,
Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Varun Khanna, FAA, Airplane and Flight
Crew Interface, ANM-111, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue SW., Renton, Washington, 98057-
3356; telephone 425-227-1298; facsimile 425-227-1149.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The substance of these special conditions
has been subject to the public comment process in several prior
instances with no substantive comments received. The FAA therefore
finds that good cause exists for making these special conditions
effective upon publication in the Federal Register.
Comments Invited
We invite interested people to take part in this rulemaking by
sending written comments, data, or views. The most helpful comments
reference a specific portion of the special conditions, explain the
reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data.
We will consider all comments we receive by the closing date for
comments. We may change these special conditions based on the comments
we receive.
Background
On March 29, 2012, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation applied for a
type certificate for their new Model GVII-G500 airplane.
The Model GVII-G500 airplane will be a business jet capable of
accommodating up to 19 passengers. It will incorporate a low, swept-
wing design with winglets and a T-tail. The powerplant will consist of
two aft-fuselage-mounted Pratt & Whitney turbofan engines.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14
CFR) 21.17, Gulfstream must show that the Model GVII-G500 airplane
meets the applicable provisions of part 25, as amended by Amendments
25-1 through 25-137.
If the Administrator finds that the applicable airworthiness
regulations (i.e., 14 CFR part 25) do not contain adequate or
appropriate safety standards for the Model GVII-G500 airplane because
of a novel or unusual design feature, special conditions are prescribed
under the provisions of Sec. 21.16.
Special conditions are initially applicable to the model for which
they are issued. Should the type certificate for that model be amended
later to include any other model that incorporates the same novel or
unusual design feature, these special conditions would also apply to
the other model under Sec. 21.101.
In addition to the applicable airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Model GVII-G500 airplane must comply with the fuel-vent
and exhaust-emission requirements of 14 CFR part 34, and the noise-
certification requirements of 14 CFR part 36.
The FAA issues special conditions, as defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in
accordance with Sec. 11.38, and they become part of the type
certification basis under Sec. 21.17.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The Model GVII-G500 airplane will incorporate the following novel
or unusual design feature: A digital-systems network architecture
composed of several connected networks. This network architecture and
network configuration will have the capability to allow access to or by
external network sources, and may be used for or interfaced with a
diverse set of functions, including:
Flight-safety-related control, communication, and
navigation systems (airplane-control domain);
Operator business and administrative support (operator-
information domain); and
Passenger information and entertainment systems
(passenger-entertainment domain).
Discussion
The Model GVII-G500 airplane's digital-systems network architecture
is novel or unusual for commercial transport airplanes as it allows
connection to airplane electronic systems and networks, and access from
sources external to the airplane (e.g., operator networks, wireless
devices, Internet connectivity, service-provider satellite
communications, electronic flight bags, etc.) to the previously
isolated airplane electronic assets. Airplane electronic assets include
electronic equipment and systems, instruments, networks, servers,
software and electronic components, field-loadable software and
hardware applications, databases, etc. This proposed design may result
in network security vulnerabilities from intentional or unintentional
corruption of data and systems required for the safety, operation, and
maintenance of the airplane.
The existing regulations and guidance material did not anticipate
these types of digital-system architectures, nor access to airplane
systems. Furthermore,
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14 CFR part 25, and current system-safety assessment policy and
techniques, do not address potential security vulnerabilities by
unauthorized access to airplane data busses and servers. Therefore,
these special conditions are issued to ensure that the security,
integrity, and availability of airplane systems are not compromised by
certain wired or wireless electronic connections between airplane data
busses and networks.
These special conditions contain the additional safety standards
that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of
safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness
standards.
Applicability
As discussed above, these special conditions are applicable to the
Model GVII-G500 airplane. Should Gulfstream apply at a later date for a
change to the type certificate to include another model incorporating
the same novel or unusual design feature, these special conditions
would apply to that model as well.
Conclusion
This action affects only a certain novel or unusual design feature
on one model series of airplane. It is not a rule of general
applicability.
The substance of these special conditions has been subjected to the
notice and comment period in several prior instances and has been
derived without substantive change from those previously issued. It is
unlikely that prior public comment would result in a significant change
from the substance contained herein. Therefore, the FAA has determined
that prior public notice and comment are unnecessary and impracticable,
and good cause exists for adopting these special conditions upon
issuance. The FAA is requesting comments to allow interested persons to
submit views that may not have been submitted in response to the prior
opportunities for comment described above.
List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 25
Aircraft, Aviation safety, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements.
The authority citation for these special conditions is as follows:
Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701, 44702, 44704.
The Special Conditions
Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me by the
Administrator, the following special conditions are issued as part of
the type certification basis for electronic system-security protection
from unauthorized external access on the Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation Model GVII-G500 airplane.
1. The applicant must ensure that the airplane electronic systems
are protected from access by unauthorized sources external to the
airplane, including those possibly caused by maintenance activity.
2. The applicant must ensure that electronic system-security
threats are identified and assessed, and that effective electronic
system-security protection strategies are implemented to protect the
airplane from all adverse impacts on safety, functionality, and
continued airworthiness.
3. The applicant must establish appropriate procedures to allow the
operator to ensure that continued airworthiness of the airplane is
maintained, including all post-type-certification modifications that
may have an impact on the approved electronic system-security
safeguards.
Issued in Renton, Washington, on April 8, 2016.
Michael Kaszycki,
Acting Manager, Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft Certification
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-09335 Filed 4-21-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P