The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice of proposed rulemaking proposing a complete revision to the a irworthiness standards for normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes.  The FAA proposes a complete rewrite to its airworthiness standards for normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes by removing current prescriptive design requirements and replacing them with performance-based airworthiness standards. The proposal separates the fundamental safety standards from the methods of compliance.  The proposed standards would also replace the current weight and propulsion divisions in small airplane regulations with performance- and risk-based divisions for airplanes with a maximum seating capacity of 19 passengers or less and a maximum takeoff weight of 19,000 pounds or less. 

The proposed airworthiness standards are based on, and would maintain, the level of safety of the current small airplane regulations. Finally, the FAA proposes to adopt additional airworthiness standards to address certification for flight in icing conditions, enhanced stall characteristics, and minimum control speed to prevent departure from controlled flight for multiengine airplanes. This NPRM addresses the congressional mandate set forth in the Small Airplane Revitalization Act of 2013.  In its desire to expedite the final rule, the FAA requests that comments must be received before May 13, 2016.  More...