Improving business aviation safety standards is one goal of the first Federal Aviation Administration review in a quarter century of its Part 23 certification process.
Part 23, which governs how all non-transport fixed-wing aircraft are certificated in the USA, has not been reviewed since 1984. An initial certification process study was completed in July by a working group consisting of key industry groups and FAA officials.
The study, conducted over the past 18 months, made 56 recommendations that will now be folded into a full review of Part 23 regulations to be completed by the FAA over the next year.
The manager of the standards office at FAA's small airplane directorate, John Colomy, says the review will be "comprehensive" because "it's got to carry us for the next 20 years". He adds that the FAA will take a "holistic" approach and the review will closely examine the entire lifecycle of aircraft, pointing out the average age of the US small aircraft fleet is now about 40 years.
The study focused primarily on "the adequacy of current airworthiness standards throughout a small aircraft's service life while anticipating future requirements".
Currently all aircraft ranging from small piston trainers to large business jets fall under the same Part 23 airworthiness standards while transport aircraft are grouped under Part 25, but the study recommends splitting Part 23 into three subgroups with small unpressurised aircraft in the bottom group and pressurised aircraft that cruise at up to Mach 0.6, including some light jets, in the middle group. The third and final group will include all aircraft flying faster than M0.6, including most business jets.
Another key recommendation is to amend the regulations governing equipment modifications to make it easier to install glass cockpit technologies.
Further safety improvements will be targeted by reviewing data management requirements. Specifically, the FAA will consider mandating general and business aviation maintenance providers to report "service difficulties". Colomy says there is now a lack of pertinent safety data for several types of small aircraft because mechanics are not using the FAA's service difficulty reporting system. He says data for this is crucial for improving safety, but in some cases aircraft owners are telling mechanics not to write up what they have discovered.
"We fell we need a no-blame culture here to move forward," Colomy says. "The FAA and the industry are moving to safety management systems. To do that we really need to gather data."
The Part 23 review will also look at improving safety by revising pilot training requirements. One of the recommendations in the certification process study is to "re-emphasise the difference between stall warning and aerodynamic stall". This could result in more stall training in simulators to highlight the procedures required for recovery. "We need to get back to teaching stall and stall recovery, big time," Colomy says.
The FAA is also being urged to mandate more training at VREF approach speed. Colomy says the number one cause of business jet accidents are runway overruns and business jet pilots are typically taught on simulators to make approaches that ensure soft landings for the passengers rather than ensure the minimum amount of runway is used. The certification study asks the FAA to "reconsider establishing VREF training and operational check ride margins to encourage pilots to fly at VREF -5/+5, especially when operating on minimum length fields".
Several industry associations were involved drafting the study, including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
GAMA chief executive Pete Bunce hopes that a Part 23 overhaul will help drive down the cost of flying, which the current system makes "very expensive".
Source: Flight International
