Would Not Affect The Existing Fleet

The FAA has published an NPRM in the Federal Register that would amend the type certification requirements for chemical oxygen generators installed on transport category airplanes so the generators are secure and not subject to misuse. The intended effect of this action would be to increase the level of security for future transport category airplane designs. This proposal does not directly affect the existing fleet.

The proposed rule would adopt new standards for COGs installed in transport category airplanes. These proposed new standards, based on the LOARC’s recommendations, would apply to future applications for type certificates, address potential security vulnerabilities with those devices, and provide performance-based options for acceptable COG installations.

The FAA has determined that COGs present an unacceptable security risk and has exercised its authority to take remedial action to correct this vulnerability in airplane design. The FAA became aware of a security vulnerability with certain types of oxygen systems installed inside the lavatories of many transport category airplanes. As a result, in April 2011, the FAA issued an AD mandating that these oxygen systems be rendered inoperative until the vulnerability could be eliminated. However, by rendering the oxygen systems inoperative to comply with the AD, the airplanes do not comply with certain other FARs. The AD contained a provisional allowance to permit noncompliance in the lavatories from those specific requirements.

The FAA created a Lavatory Oxygen ARC (LOARC) to study the problem. The FAA and the LOARC recognize that the unique nature of COGs drives the identified security vulnerability. Although not proposed in this action, there are other means of delivering supplemental oxygen, such as a stored gas system (either centrally or locally installed), that could eliminate the security vulnerability. These systems are currently used in certain airplane types and could be easily incorporated  for new airplane type designs. Although the installation of COGs in lavatories prompted the various rulemaking activities discussed in this proposal, the LOARC recommended applying the new standards to COG installations anywhere on the airplane, and the FAA agrees with this recommendation. The LOARC concluded that if the characteristic that makes the COG a risk exists in locations other than in lavatories, then those  locations should also be subject to the same approval criteria. The LOARC did not attempt to identify any specific locations, but it developed assessment criteria to identify such locations.  However, since lavatories are currently without supplemental oxygen, those are the locations with the greatest interest.

Comments are due on the NPRM by March 11.

FMI: NPRM