---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 C.F.R. § 450.121"
title: "14"
number: "450.121"
heading: "Debris analysis."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/14/450.121"
---

# §450.121. Debris analysis.

- (a) **General.** A flight safety analysis must include an analysis characterizing the hazardous debris generated from normal and malfunctioning vehicle flight as a function of vehicle flight sequence.
- (b) **Vehicle impact and breakup analysis.** A debris analysis must account for:
  - (1) Each reasonably foreseeable cause of vehicle breakup and intact impact,
  - (2) Vehicle structural characteristics and materials, and
  - (3) **Energetic effects during break-up or at impact.**
- (c) **Propagation of debris.** A debris analysis must compute statistically valid debris impact probability distributions. The propagation of debris from each predicted breakup location to impact must account for—
  - (1) All foreseeable forces that can influence any debris impact location; and
  - (2) **All foreseeable sources of impact dispersion, including, at a minimum—**
    - (i) The uncertainties in atmospheric conditions;
    - (ii) Debris aerodynamic parameters, including uncertainties;
    - (iii) Pre-breakup position and velocity, including uncertainties; and
    - (iv) **Breakup-imparted velocities, including uncertainties.**
- (d) **Application requirements.** An applicant must submit:
  - (1) A description of all scenarios that can lead to hazardous debris;
  - (2) A description of the methods used to perform the vehicle impact and breakup analysis, in accordance with [§ 450.115(c)](/cfr/14/450.115.md?p=c);
  - (3) A description of the methods used to compute debris impact distributions, in accordance with [§ 450.115(c)](/cfr/14/450.115.md?p=c);
  - (4) A description of the atmospheric data used as input to the debris analysis; and
  - (5) A quantitative description of the physical, aerodynamic, and harmful characteristics of hazardous debris.

## Notes

### Authority

Authority: 51 U.S.C. 50901-50923.

### Source

Source: Docket No. FAA-2019-0229, Amdt. 450-2, 85 FR 79719, Dec. 10, 202085 FR 79739, Dec. 10, 2020, unless otherwise noted.