How Should Agency Certify New Tiltrotor? Weigh In!

Like its much-larger military cousin, the V-22 Osprey, the Bell-Agusta BA609 commercial tiltrotor aircraft is like no other aircraft to come before it... which leaves the FAA with some questions on how, exactly, the new aircraft should be certified, and what standards it should meet.

On Tuesday, the FAA issued a request for comments on proposed airworthiness standards for acceptance of the BA609 under 14 CFR 21.17(b) --designation of applicable regulations for special classes of aircraft for which airworthiness standards have not been issued.

The "special class" category for aircraft was created specifically for nonconventional aircraft for which airworthiness standards have not been issued -- the BA609 certainly qualifies there -- and provides a means for applicants to propose airworthiness standards for their particular special class aircraft.

The FAA procedure establishing appropriate airworthiness standards includes reviewing and possibly revising the application proposal, publication of the submittal in the Federal Register for public review and comment, and addressing the comments. After all necessary revisions, the standards are published as approved FAA airworthiness standards.

The agency reports an applicant for the BA609 Tiltrotor has submitted a request to the FAA to include the applicable requirements of those airworthiness requirements (contained in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, parts 23, 25, and 29) found by the Administrator to be appropriate for the BA609 Tiltrotor, or such airworthiness criteria as may be appropriate for this special class aircraft that provides an acceptable level of safety equivalent to the level of safety provided in the existing airworthiness standards.

The FAA considered the applicant’s proposal, and determined that those 14 CFR parts 23, 25, and 29 requirements and certain additional airworthiness standards should apply.

Commenters may obtain a copy of the proposed airworthiness standards here. Comments on the proposed standards should be sent on or before January 25, 2008.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.bellagusta.com