Impact of Regulations on Cabin Systems Installation
John Courtright, Structural Integrity Engineering

• There are “heightened” FAA attention to technical issues related to IFE and Wi-Fi Systems Installations
• The Aging Aircraft Safety Rule – EWIS & Damage Tolerance Analysis
• The Challenge: Maximize Flight Safety While Minimizing Costs
• Issue Papers & Testing, Testing, Testing
• The role of Airworthiness Directives (ADs) on the design of many IFE systems and all antenna systems. Goal is safety AND cost-effective maintenance intervals and inspection techniques
• The STC Process Briefly Stated
• Type Certifications (TC)
• Supplemental Type Certifications (STC)
• The STC Process
• Project Specific Certification Plan (PSCP)
• Managed by FAA Aircraft Certification Office (ACO)
• Type of Project (Electrical/Mechanical Systems or Structural)
• Specific Type of Aircraft Being Modified
• Schedule
• Design & Installation Location
• What does the STC Plan (PSCP) Cover?
• System Description – What does the system do?
• System qualification – Are the components qualified?
• Certification requirements – What FARs are applicable?
• Installation detail – what is being modified?
• Prototype installation – What is new?
• Functional hazard Assessment (FHA) – is it safe?
• EZAP-EWIS Requirements – Any aging aircraft issues?
• Certification Data – How is compliance achieved?
• Delegation and FAA involvement – Who is doing the work?
• Proposed certification schedule – When is the installation?
• Certification documentation – What the FAA Expects to see
• Cabin Systems Certification Concerns
• In addition to meeting the requirements for DO-160, Cabin System Certification needs to address issues related to:
• Power management: Generally, IFE and Wi-Fi Systems are classified as “Non-Essential Equipment” from a certification viewpoint.
• Connected to “non-essential” power buses
• Must be able to shed IFE & Wi-Fi Systems in a smoke/fire event or Other electrical emergency (FAA Policy 00-111-160)
• FAA is more relaxed with testing wi-fi. It used to be that you had to have 150 seats with laptops running wi-fi, but now it is down to around 50.
• Aging aircraft concerns – electrical and structural
• Issue papers addressing technical concerns involving:
• “Structural Certification Criteria for Large Antenna Installations”
• Antenna “Vibration/Buffeting Compliance Criteria”
• DO-160 : Environmental Test Procedures
• DO 160 – “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment”, Issued by RTCA
• Provides guidance to equipment manufacturers as to testing requirements
• Temperature: –40C to +55C
• Vibration and Shock
• Contaminant susceptibility – fluids and dust
• Electro-magnetic Interference
• Cabin systems are generally classified as “non-essential”
• Swissair 111 crashed (in part) due to non-standard wiring practices.
• EWIS Design Implications
• Installation design must take EWIS Requirements into account.
• This generally means:
• Aircraft surveys are needed to identify proper wire routing
• Ensure existing wiring diagrams are correct
• Identify primary/Secondary/Tertiary bus locations
• Verify proper separation of wire bundles exist
• Required separation from fuel quantity indicator system (FQIS) to prevent fuel tang ignition
• Enhanced Zonal Analysis Procedure (EZAP) Performed
• EZAP was developed by the Aging Transport Systems Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ATSRAC)
• EZAP is the method for analyzing airplane zones with an emphasis on evaluating wiring systems and the existence of combustibles  in the cabin.
• Certification Considerations for Wi-Fi Systems
• Electrical – All existing DO 160 testing required
• Issue papers required
• Onboard EMI testing – any interference with aircraft systems when multiple wi-fi users are logged on?
• Vibration/Buffeting compliance criteria – what is the effect of the antenna on aircraft flight characteristics?
• Structural certification criteria – what are the stress loads on the aircraft at the antenna location and what is the impact on maintenance inspection criteria for the airline?
• Damage tolerance analysis required
• Goal – minimize maintenance inspection intervals