The FAA has announced its acceptance of 30 published ASTM International consensus standards for certification of normal category Part 23 airplanes. The new Means of Compliance (MOC) are, according to the FAA, “an acceptable means, but not the only means, of showing compliance to the applicable regulations in Part 23 [and] provide at least the same level of safety as the corresponding requirements.”
Of the 63 newly available MOCs based on those 30 standards, 46 of them were allowed as published. The other 17 were accepted with changes from the FAA. The accepted standards were established by ASTM Committee F44 on General Aviation Aircraft and developed with input from industry regulators such as the FAA and EASA along with aircraft manufacturers and aviation consumers. ASTM standards have previously been used as means of compliance for certification of LSAs.
Aviation organizations such as AOPA have voiced their support for the additional standards. “These pivotal changes will bring new and safer technologies into the cockpit and reduce costs for pilots and operators,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. The new rule is open for comments until July 10, 2018.
