U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular Subject: Incorporation of Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems Instructions for Continued Airworthiness into an Operator’s Maintenance Program Date: 4/11/17 AC No: 120-102A Initiated by: AFS-300 Change: 1
1. PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) provides guidance for Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 121 certificate holders and 14 CFR part 129 operators (part 129, § 129.14) of U.S.-registered airplanes (hereafter both are referred to as “operators”) regarding compliance with the Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems/Fuel Tank Safety (EAPAS/FTS) Rule.
2. PRINCIPAL CHANGES. This change updates guidance in paragraph 3-6 for Operations Specification (OpSpec) D097, Aging Aircraft Programs, removing the use of the “Free Text” area and changing how D097 Table 1 will be used. The table signifies that the FAA has reviewed the operator’s maintenance and/or inspection program(s) policy and procedures are in compliance with the respective Aging Aircraft Program rules.
PAGE CONTROL CHART Remove Pages Dated Insert Pages Dated Pages i thru iii (and iv) 9/12/12 Pages i thru iii (and iv) 4/11/17 Pages 4 and 12 9/12/12 Pages 4, 6, and 12 4/11/17 Page 15 (and 16) 9/12/12 Page 15 (and 16) 4/11/17 Page 19 (and 20) 9/12/12 Pages 19 and 20 4/11/17
John Barbagallo Deputy Director, Flight Standards Service
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular Subject: Incorporation of Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems Instructions for Continued Airworthiness into an Operator’s Maintenance Program Date: 9/12/12 AC No: 120-102A Initiated by: AFS-300 Change:
On November 8, 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published the Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems/Fuel Tank Safety (EAPAS/FTS) Final Rule. The intent of the rule is to help ensure the continued safety of commercial airplanes by improving the design, installation, and maintenance of electrical wiring systems. Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 121, § 121.1111, and part 129, § 129.111 include requirements for operators to revise their maintenance programs to include instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA), which include inspections and procedures for the electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS). This advisory circular (AC) only addresses the EWIS requirements and provides guidance accordingly. AC 120-97, Incorporation of Fuel Tank System Instructions for Continued Airworthiness into Operator Maintenance and/or Inspection Programs, provides guidance for operators to comply with the fuel tank safety (FTS) requirements in the EAPAS/FTS Rule.
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CONTENTS Paragraph Page
CHAPTER 1. GENERAL1
1-1. Purpose1
1-2. Applicability1
1-3. Background2
1-4. Related CFR Parts3
1-5. Related Reading Materials (current editions)4
1-6. FAA Policy Statements5
1-7. AC Feedback Form6
CHAPTER 2. ENHANCED AIRWORTHINESS PROGRAM FOR AIRPLANE
SYSTEMS (EAPAS) REQUIREMENTS7
2-1. Requirements7
2-2. Description of EWIS ICA Required by 14 CFR Part 26, § 26.117
2-3. EWIS ICA Development Required by § 25.172910
2-4. Description of EWIS ICA Required by § 26.1110
2-5. Why EWIS ICA Approval is Necessary10
2-6. TCH-Developed EWIS Inspection and Restoration Tasks11
2-7. STC Holder-Developed EWIS ICA13
2-8. STC Limitation13
2-9. Requirement to Ensure Compatibility Between Fuel Tank System and EWIS ICA14
Table 2-1. Integrated Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane
Systems/Fuel Tank Safety Task15
CHAPTER 3. OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS17
3-1. Operator Incorporation of FAA-Approved Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) into the
Maintenance Program17
3-2. Operator Changes to EZAP-Developed EWIS Task or Task Intervals17
3-3. Operator Changes to EWIS ICA Developed under 14 CFR Part 25, § 25.172918
3-4. EAPAS Maintenance Training18
3-5. Operator’s Maintenance Program Approval Under §§ 121.1111 and 129.11119
3-6. Operators that are Authorized OpSpec D09719
Table 3-1. Sample D097 Table 1 – Aging Aircraft Maintenance Programs20
APPENDIX 1. ACRONYMS (2 pages)1
APPENDIX 2. DEFINITIONS (4 pages)1
APPENDIX 3. FAA OVERSIGHT OFFICES BY AIRPLANE
MANUFACTURER (2 pages)1
Par 1-1 Page 1 CHAPTER 1. GENERAL
1-1. PURPOSE. This advisory circular (AC) provides guidance for Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 121 certificate holders and 14 CFR part 129 operators (part 129, § 129.14) of U.S.-registered airplanes (hereafter both are referred to as “operators”) regarding compliance with the Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems/Fuel Tank Safety (EAPAS/FTS) Rule.
a. Definition. The EAPAS/FTS Rule contains new certification and operation requirements for the airplanes’ electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS). It requires the development of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Oversight Office-approved EWIS instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA). It defines EWIS as including “any wire, wiring device, or combination of these, including termination devices, installed in any area of the airplane for the purpose of transmitting electrical energy, including data and signals, between two or more intended termination points.”
b. Requirements. The EWIS ICA have been developed using an enhanced zonal analysis procedure (EZAP). Refer to Appendix 2, Definitions, for the definition of EZAP. The requirements to develop these EWIS ICA are contained in 14 CFR part 25, § 25.1729, and part 26, § 26.11. These sections refer to EWIS ICA requirements contained in part 25 appendix H, § H25.5(a)(1) and (b). This AC provides guidance for EWIS ICA that have been developed in accordance with § 26.11 and AC 25-27, Development of Transport Category Airplane Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems Instructions for Continued Airworthiness Using an Enhanced Zonal Analysis Procedure.
1-2. APPLICABILITY. This AC applies to operators of transport category turbine-powered airplanes with a type certificate (TC) issued after January 1, 1958 that, as a result of original type certification or later increase in capacity, have a maximum type-certificated passenger capacity of 30 or more, or a maximum payload capacity of 7,500 pounds or more. This AC can also be used as a method of compliance for any transport category airplane that has § 25.1729 in its certification basis.
NOTE: The phrase “original type certification or later increase in capacity” addresses two situations. In the past, some designers and operators avoided applying requirements mandated only for airplanes over a specific capacity by receiving a design change approval for a slightly lower capacity. By referencing the capacity resulting from original certification, the rule removes this means of avoiding compliance. Also, the FAA could have originally certified an airplane design with a capacity slightly lower than the minimum specified in the rule, but through later design changes, the capacity could be increased above this minimum. The reference to later increase in capacity in the rule ensures that, if this occurs, the design would have to meet the requirements of the rule.
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1-3. BACKGROUND.
a. TWA Flight 800. Since 1959, there have been 18 fuel tank explosions. Most notably, on July 17, 1996, a 25-year-old Boeing 747-100 series airplane was involved in an in-flight breakup after takeoff from Kennedy International Airport in New York, resulting in 230 fatalities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the probable cause of the TWA Flight 800 accident was an explosion of the center wing fuel tank (CWT) resulting from ignition of the flammable fuel and air mixture in the tank. The NTSB could not conclusively determine the source of ignition energy for the explosion, though the most likely cause was a wiring failure outside the CWT. This failure allowed excessive electrical energy to enter the CWT through electrical wiring associated with the fuel quantity indicator system (FQIS).
b. Swissair Flight 111. Two years after the TWA accident, in September 1998, an MD-11 airplane, Swissair Flight 111, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. In its final accident report, The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) determined that there was smoke and a fire above the ceiling in the cockpit. In the report, the TSB could not identify the exact cause of the fire; however, the TSB stated that “a segment of in-flight entertainment network power supply unit cable… exhibited a region of resolidified copper on one wire that was caused by an arcing event.” The TSB determined that this resolidified copper was located in the area where the fire most likely originated.
c. Investigation. Investigation of these two accidents, and subsequent examinations of many other airplanes, showed that deteriorated wiring, corrosion, and improper wire installation and repairs were common conditions in the EWIS. In addition, wire bundles contaminated with metal shavings, dust, and fluids were also common conditions in representative examples of transport airplanes. These contaminants could damage EWIS and also provide fuel for an electrical fire.
d. FAA’s Conclusions.
(1) The FAA concluded that the following ICA for the EWIS are too general, and not described in enough detail in maintenance manuals:
(a) Wiring maintenance practices,
(b) Wiring components,
(c) Wiring inspection criteria, and
(d) Wiring repair and installation instructions.
(2) Therefore, the FAA determined that to correct these deficiencies, future ICA developed for the EWIS must define:
(a) What has to be done,
(b) When it has to be done,
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(c) How it will be accomplished, and
(d) That EWIS ICA must be FAA-approved.
e. EAPAS/FTS Final Rule. On November 8, 2007, the FAA published the EAPAS/FTS Rule. This rule helps ensure the continued safety of commercial airplanes by improving the design, installation, and maintenance of the airplanes’ EWIS. The rule also includes new certification (§ 26.11 and §§ 25.1701 through 25.1733) and operation (14 CFR part 121, § 121.1111, and § 129.111) requirements. Part 26 subpart A establishes design approval holder (DAH) requirements for support of the continued airworthiness and safety improvements for turbine-powered transport category airplanes.
NOTE: For the purposes of this AC, a DAH refers to the TC and Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) holder when used in context.
NOTE: For the purposes of this AC, the FAA Oversight Office is defined in § 26.3 as the Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) or the office of the Transport Airplane Directorate with oversight responsibility for the relevant TC, STC, or manufacturer as determined by the Administrator.
f. New 14 CFR Subparts. Section 121.1101 subpart AA, and § 129.101 subpart B requires operators to support the continued airworthiness of each airplane. These new requirements may include revising the maintenance or inspection program, incorporating design changes, incorporating revisions to ICA, and making necessary documentation available to affected persons (see Appendix 2). These new subparts will also improve the reader’s ability to readily identify rules pertinent to continued airworthiness.
1-4. RELATED CFR PARTS. The Regulatory and Guidance Library (RGL) is a set of searchable databases that contain regulatory, guidance, and aviation product information. The RGL contains certain Federal aviation regulations and Special Federal Aviation Regulations (SFAR) from 14 CFR in their current versions as well as historical versions. The following sections of 14 CFR apply:
• Part 21, § 21.50, Instructions for Continued Airworthiness and Manufacturer’s Maintenance Manuals Having Airworthiness Limitation Sections.
• Part 25, § 25.1529, Instructions for Continued Airworthiness.
• Part 25, § 25.1729, Instructions for Continued Airworthiness: EWIS.
• Part 25 Appendix H, Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS).
• Part 26 Subpart A, Continued Airworthiness and Safety Improvements for Transport Category Airplanes.
• Part 26, § 26.11, Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) Maintenance Program.
• Part 43, § 43.13, Performance Rules (General).
• Part 121 Subpart AA, Continued Airworthiness and Safety Improvements.
• Part 121, § 121.1111, Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) Maintenance Program.
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• Part 129 Subpart B, Continued Airworthiness and Safety Improvements.
• Part 129, § 129.111, Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) Maintenance Program.
1-5. RELATED READING MATERIALS (current editions).
a. ACs. You can locate each of the following ACs at http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars.
(1) AC 25-8, Auxiliary Fuel System Installations.
(2) AC 25-19, Certification Maintenance Requirements.
(3) AC 25-27, Development of Transport Category Airplane Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems Instructions for Continued Airworthiness Using an Enhanced Zonal Analysis Procedure.
(4) AC 25.981-1, Fuel Tank Ignition Source Prevention Guidelines.
(5) AC 25.981-2, Fuel Tank Flammability Minimization.
(6) AC 25.981-2A, Fuel Tank Flammability Reduction Means.
(7) AC 25.1701-1 Certification of Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems on Transport Category Airplanes.
(8) AC 26-1, Part 26, Continued Airworthiness and Safety Improvements.
(9) AC 120-16, Air Carrier Maintenance Programs.
(10) AC 120-94, Aircraft Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems Training Program.
(11) AC 120-97, Incorporation of Fuel Tank System Instructions for Continued Airworthiness into the Operator Maintenance and/or Inspection Program.
(12) AC 121-22, Maintenance Review Boards, Maintenance Type Boards, and OEM/TCH Recommended Maintenance Procedures.
(13) AC 129-4, Maintenance Programs for U.S.-Registered Aircraft Operated Under 14 CFR Part 129.
b. FAA Orders.
(1) Order 8110.54, Instructions for Continued Airworthiness Responsibilities, Requirements, and Contents.
(2) Order 8110.104, Responsibilities and Requirements for Implementing Part 26 Safety Initiatives.
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c. Industry References. The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Operator/Manufacturer Scheduled Maintenance Development, Maintenance Steering Group— 3rd Task Force (MSG-3) and later revisions. The ATA is now the Airlines 4 America (A4A).
1-6. FAA POLICY STATEMENTS (available for download at http://rgl.faa.gov).
a. PS-ANM110-7-12-2005, Safety—A Shared Responsibility—New Direction for Addressing Airworthiness Issues for Transport Airplanes.
(1) On July 12, 2005, the FAA issued policy statement PS-ANM110-7-12-2005. The policy states, in part:
“Based on our evaluation of more effective regulatory approaches for certain types of safety initiatives…the FAA has concluded that we need to adopt a regulatory approach recognizing the shared responsibility between design approval holders (DAHs) and operators. When we decide that general rulemaking is needed to address an airworthiness issue, and believe the safety objective can only be fully achieved if the DAHs provide operators with the necessary information in a timely manner, we will propose requirements for the affected DAHs to provide that information…”
(2) To implement this policy, the FAA established a new § 26.11 in the EAPAS/FTS Rule. The new § 26.11 requires the DAH to develop ICA for EWIS for certain existing transport category airplanes and submit them to the FAA Oversight Office for approval.
b. PS-AIR-100-2009-05-27, Adding Part 26 to Type Certificate Data Sheets and Supplemental Type Certificates. On October 22, 2007, 14 CFR adopted a new part 26, Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems (EAPAS). Since its issuance, part 26 has been amended twice.
c. PS-AIR-100-2007-12-27A, Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems (EAPAS) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) Limitation. On July 7, 2008, the FAA issued policy statement PS-AIR-100-2007-12-27A (refer to paragraph 2-7 of this AC for a detailed discussion).
d. PS-AIR-100-2007-12-27B, Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems (EAPAS) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) Limitation. On June 10, 2009, the FAA issued revised policy statement PS-AIR-100-2007-12-27B. This revision adds part 26 to type data sheets and STCs.
e. PS-ANM-08-113-001, Clarification of Maximum Payload Capacity Definition in Design Approval Holder Rules. On September 12, 2008, the FAA issued policy statement PS-ANM-08-113-001. The maximum payload capacity criterion is used, along with other criteria, to determine whether a rule is applicable to a DAH. However, there has been confusion on the use and definition of the term. This policy memorandum clarifies the maximum payload capacity criterion when used with regard to these DAH rules and their corresponding operational rule.
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1-7. AC FEEDBACK FORM. For your convenience, the AC Feedback Form is the last page of this AC. Note any deficiencies found, clarifications needed, or suggested improvements regarding the contents of this AC on the Feedback Form.