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Thursday, 08 April, 2010

FAA Extends Compliance Date For CVR & DFDR Regulations

FAA EXTENDS COMPLIANCE DATE FOR CVR & DFDR REGULATIONS

April 8, 2010

What’s at Issue

On April 5, 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule that provides for the extension of compliance dates for certain regulations affecting Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs) and Digital Flight Data Recorders (DFDRs). This final rule is the result of a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) issued on January 7, 2010.

Why it’s Important

Following a final rule issued in March 2007, the FAA received a number of industry petitions requesting either that the effective dates in the regulations be changed or that other relief from several of the 2008 requirements be granted for aircraft manufactured on or after April 7, 2010. The FAA instead proposed certain extensions in a NPRM published on January 7, 2010 (75 FR 943). After receiving industry comments, the FAA issued a final rule on April 5, 2010, incorporating the adjusted compliance dates.

Major Provisions

As compared with the final rule adopted in March 2008, this final rule adopts the following flight recorder equipment compliance times:

1. For the ten-minute backup power source for CVRs, the compliance date for newly manufactured aircraft operating under Part 91 is April 6, 2012.

2. For increased DFDR sampling rates, the compliance date for newly manufactured aircraft operating under Part 91 is April 6, 2012.

3. For increased DFDR sampling rates, the compliance date for newly manufactured aircraft operating under Part 121, 125, or 135 is December 6, 2010.

4. For recordation of datalink communications, the compliance date after which newly installed datalink systems must include recording capability for aircraft operating under Part 91 is April 6, 2012.

5. For recordation of datalink communications, the compliance date after which newly installed datalink systems must include recording capability for aircraft operating under Part 121, 125, or 135 is December 6, 2010.

For discrepancies between the originally proposed NPRM and the final rule, please refer to the full document linked at the bottom of this regulatory report.

NATA Position

NATA is pleased with the extended dates provided by the FAA. NATA is disappointed, however, that comments on technical issues for DFDR sampling rates and data link recordings for certain aircraft dual operating under both Part 135 and Part 91 were not incorporated in the final rule.

Status

This final rule was published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2010, and is available for download here. No additional comments will be considered.

View in PDF format.

Staff Contact: Dennis van de Laar
Manager, Regulatory Affairs
dvandelaar@nata.aero

For general press inquiries, contact Shannon Chambers at 703-298-1347 or schambers@nata.aero.

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been the voice of aviation business for more than 80 years. Representing nearly 3,700 aviation businesses, NATA’s member companies provide a broad range of services to general aviation, the airlines and the military and NATA serves as the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress and the federal agencies.