[Avionics Magazine 12-16-2016] The FAA has issued a final rule that overhauls the airworthiness standards for small General Aviation (GA) airplanes. Under the new Part 23 rule, airplanes that weigh less than 19,000 pounds with 19 or fewer seats are regulated by performance-based certification standards.
Cirrus General Aviation aircraft at the Commemorative Air Force hangar. Photo: Cirrus.
The rule responds to the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013, which directed the FAA to streamline the approval of safety advancements for small general aviation aircraft. It also addresses recommendations from the FAA’s 2013 Part 23 Reorganization Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARAC), which recommended a more streamlined approval process for safety equipment on small general aviation aircraft.
The new rule also promotes regulatory harmonization among the FAA’s foreign partners, including the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), and Brazil’s Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). This harmonization may help minimize costs for airplane and engine manufacturers and operators of affected equipment who seek certification to sell products globally.
The final rule is outlined by the FAA here.