ED Decision 2017/013/R

Executive Director Decision

2017/013/R

of 29 March 2017

amending Certification Specifications for normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter category
aeroplanes
‘CS-23 — Amendment 5
Reorganised CS-23 for normal-category aeroplanes’

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EUROPEAN AVIATION SAFETY AGENCY,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 216/20081, and in particular Article 38(3)(a) thereof,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 748/20122, and in particular point 21.A.16A of Annex I (Part-21) thereto,

Whereas:

(1) EASA shall, pursuant to Article 18(c) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008, issue certification specifications
and acceptable means of compliance, as well as guidance material, for the application of Regulation (EC)
No 216/2008 and its implementing rules.
(2) Certification specifications are non-binding technical standards adopted by EASA which indicate the
means to demonstrate compliance with Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and its implementing rules and
which can be used by organisations for the purpose of certification.
(3) With Decision No. 2003/14/RM of 14 November 2003, the Executive Director issued certification
specifications for normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter category aeroplanes.
(4) EASA shall, pursuant to Article 19(2) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008, reflect the state of the art and the
best practices in the fields concerned and update its decisions taking into account worldwide aircraft
experience in service, and scientific and technical progress.

1
Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 2008 on common rules in the field of
civil aviation and establishing a European Aviation Safety Agency, and repealing Council Directive 91/670/EEC, Regulation (EC)
No 1592/2002 and Directive 2004/36/EC (OJ L 79, 19.3.2008, p. 1).
2
Commission Regulation (EU) No 748/2012 of 3 August 2012 laying down implementing rules for the airworthiness and
environmental certification of aircraft and related products, parts and appliances, as well as for the certification of design and
production organisations (OJ L 224, 21.8.2012, p. 1).

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(5) EASA has developed a European General Aviation Safety Strategy3 and the EASA Road Map for the
Regulation of General Aviation4 in order to support a sustainable and healthy General Aviation (GA).
Innovation in aeroplane designs plays an important part in this. EASA has determined that the
certification specifications for normal, utility, aerobatic and commuter category aeroplanes (CS-23) need
to be reorganised in order to introduce objective-based requirements supported by appropriate
acceptable means of compliance (AMC). These AMC can be amended in a timely manner reflecting the
industry state-of-the-art and the introduction of future technologies. In addition, this CS-23
reorganisation follows a more proportionate and risk-based approach to aeroplane standards and
removes the arbitrary weight-driven separation of technical standards that are no longer appropriate for
modern technology. CS-23 — Amendment 5, therefore, introduces a newly defined single ‘Normal
category’, into which CS-23 with its current scope (Normal, Utility, Aerobatic and Commuter Category
Aeroplanes) and CS-VLA (Very Light Aeroplanes) are merged, creating a single technical standard.
(6) EASA has determined that future changes due to developments in the state-of-the-art and introduction
of future technologies in the scope of CS-VLA will only be incorporated in CS-23. CS-VLA will not be
amended and remain at the current amendment level (CS-VLA — Amendment 1). CS-23 —
Amendment 5 replaces CS-VLA as the applicable certification specifications.
(7) Reorganisation of CS-23 is performed in coordination with a similar change in the United States of
America (USA), introduced with Amendment 64 to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 14 Code of
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 23. Consequently, this Decision will further improve the harmonisation of
the certification process between EASA and FAA, reduce the certification burden and support the
implementation of the objectives of the European General Aviation Safety Strategy and the EASA Road
Map for the Regulation of General Aviation.
(8) Acceptable Means of Compliance to CS-23 — Amendment 5 will be issued as an annex to a subsequent
decision and will be updated in due time to reflect the industry state-of-the-art and future technologies.
(9) EASA, pursuant to Article 52(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 and Articles 6(3), 7 and 8 of the EASA
Rulemaking Procedure5, has widely consulted interested parties on the matters which are the subject of
this Decision and has provided thereafter a written response to the comments received6.

HAS DECIDED:

Article 1
The Annex to this Decision is issued as Amendment 5 to the Certification Specifications for normal, utility,
aerobatic and commuter category aeroplanes (CS-23).

3
https://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/dfu/European%20GA%20Safety%20Strategy.pdf
4
http://easa.europa.eu/easa-and-you/aviation-domain/general-aviation?page=general-aviation-road-map
5
EASA Management Board Decision No 18-2015 of 15 December 2015 replacing Decision 01/2012 concerning the procedure to be
applied by the Agency for the issuing of opinions, certification specifications, acceptable means of compliance and guidance
material (‘Rulemaking Procedure’) (http://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/dfu/EASA%20MB%20Decision%2018-
2015%20on%20Rulemaking%20Procedure.pdf)
6
http://easa.europa.eu/document-library/comment-response-documents

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 ED Decision 2017/013/R

Article 2
This Decision shall be published in the Official Publication of EASA and shall enter into force on
15 August 2017.

Cologne, 29 March 2017

For the European Aviation Safety Agency

The Executive Director
[signed by]
Patrick KY

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