14 C.F.R. Appendix C to Part 420
(a) Introduction
(2) An applicant shall perform a risk analysis when a populated area is located within a flight corridor defined by either appendix A or appendix B. If the estimated expected casualty exceeds 1 × 10−4, an applicant may either modify its proposal, or if the flight corridor used was generated by the appendix A method, use the appendix B method to narrow the flight corridor and then redo the overflight risk analysis pursuant to this appendix. If the estimated expected casualty still exceeds 1 × 10−4, the FAA will not approve the location of the proposed launch point.
(b) Data Requirements
(3) Launch vehicle data. Launch vehicle data consist of the launch vehicle failure probability (Pf), the launch vehicle effective casualty area (Ac), trajectory position data, and the overflight dwell time (td). The failure probability is a constant (Pf = 0.10) for a guided orbital or suborbital expendable launch vehicle. Table C-3 provides effective casualty area data based on IIP range. Trajectory position information is provided from distance computations provided by this appendix for an appendix A flight corridor, or trajectory data used in appendix B for an appendix B flight corridor. The dwell time (td) may be determined from trajectory data produced when creating an appendix B flight corridor.
| Data category | Data item | Data source |
|---|---|---|
| Population Data | Total population within a populated area (N) | Within 100 nm of the launch point: U.S. census data at the census block-group level. Downrange from 100 nm beyond the launch point, world population data are available from: |
| Total landmass area within the populated area (A) | Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) Oak Ridge National LaboratoryDatabase—Global Population Distribution (1990), Terrestrial Area and Country Name Information on a One by One Degree Grid Cell Basis (DB1016 (8-1996) | |
| Launch Vehicle Data | Failure probability—Pf = 0.10 | N/A. |
| Effective casualty area (Ac) | See table C-3. | |
| Overflight dwell time | Determined by range from the launch point or trajectory used by applicant. | |
| Nominal trajectory data (for an appendix B flight corridor only) | See appendix B, table B-1. |
(c) Estimating Corridor Casualty Expectation
(5) Probability of impact (Pi) computations for a populated area in an appendix A flight corridor. An applicant shall compute Pi for each populated area using the following method:
(i) For the launch and downrange areas, but not for a final stage impact dispersion area for a guided suborbital launch vehicle, an applicant shall compute Pi for each populated area using the following equation:

where:
x1, x2 = closest and farthest downrange distance (nm) along the flight corridor centerline to the populated area (see figure C-1)
y1, y2 = closest and farthest cross range distance (nm) to the populated area measured from the flight corridor centerline (see figure C-1)
σy = one-third of the cross range distance from the centerline to the flight corridor boundary (see figure C-1)
exp = exponential function (e x)
Pf = probability of failure = 0.10
R = IIP range rate (nm/sec) (see table C-2)
C = 643 seconds (constant)
| IIP range(nm) | IIP range rate(nm/s) |
|---|---|
| 0-75 | 0.75 |
| 76-300 | 1.73 |
| 301-900 | 4.25 |
| 901-1700 | 8.85 |
| 1701-2600 | 19.75 |
| 2601-3500 | 42.45 |
| 3501-4500 | 84.85 |
| 4501-5250 | 154.95 |
(ii) For each populated area within a final stage impact dispersion area, an applicant shall compute Pi using the following method:
(A) An applicant shall estimate the probability of final stage impact in the x and y sectors of each populated area within the final stage impact dispersion area using equations C2 and C3:

where:
X1, X2 = closest and farthest downrange distance, measured along the flight corridor centerline, measured from the nominal impact point to the populated area (see figure C-3)
σx = one-third of the impact dispersion radius (see figure C-3)
exp = exponential function (e x)

where:
y1, y2 = closest and farthest cross range distance to the populated area measured from the flight corridor centerline (see figure C-3)
σy = one-third of the impact dispersion radius (see figure C-3)
exp = exponential function (e x)
(C) An applicant shall calculate the probability of impact for each populated area using equation C4 below:

where: Ps = 1−Pf = 0.90

(6) Probability of impact computations for a populated area in an appendix B flight corridor. An applicant shall compute Pi using the following method:
(i) For the launch and downrange areas, but not for a final stage impact dispersion area for a guided suborbital launch vehicle, an applicant shall compute Pi for each populated area using the following equation:

where:
y1,y2 = closest and farthest cross range distance (nm) to a populated area measured from the nominal trajectory IIP ground trace (see figure C-2)
σy = one-third of the cross range distance (nm) from nominal trajectory to the flight corridor boundary (see figure C-2)
exp = exponential function (e x)
Pf = probability of failure = 0.10
t = flight time from lift-off to orbital insertion (seconds)
td = overflight dwell time (seconds)
(ii) For each populated area within a final stage impact dispersion area, an applicant shall compute Pi using the following method:
(A) An applicant shall estimate the probability of final stage impact in the x and y sectors of each populated area within the final stage impact dispersion area using equations C6 and C7:

where:
x1, x2 = closest and farthest downrange distance, measured along nominal trajectory IIP ground trace, measured from the nominal impact point to the populated area (see figure C-3)
σx = one-third of the impact dispersion radius (see figure C-3)
exp = exponential function (e x)

where:
y1, y2 = closest and farthest cross range distance to the populated area measured from the nominal trajectory IIP ground trace (see figure C-3)
σy = one-third of the impact dispersion radius (see figure C-3)
exp = exponential function (e x)
(C) An applicant shall calculate the probability of impact for each populated area using equation C8 below:

where: Ps = 1−Pf = 0.90


(7) Using the Pi calculated in either subparagraph (c)(5) or (6) of this paragraph, an applicant shall calculate the casualty expectancy for each populated area within the flight corridor in accordance with equation C9. Eck is the casualty expectancy for a given populated area as shown in equation C9, where individual populated areas are designated with the subscript “k”.

where:
Ac = casualty area (from table C-3)
Ak = populated area
Nk = population in Ak
| Orbital launch vehicles | Suborbital launchvehicles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instantaneous impact point range (nautical miles) | Small | Medium | Medium large | Large | Guided |
| 0-49 | 3.14 × 10−2 | 1.28 × 10−1 | 4.71 × 10−2 | 8.59 × 10−2 | 4.3 × 10−1 |
| 50-1749 | 2.47 × 10−2 | 2.98 × 10−2 | 9.82 × 10−3 | 2.45 × 10−2 | 1.3 × 10−1 |
| 1750-5000 | 3.01 × 10−4 | 5.52 × 10−3 | 7.82 × 10−3 | 1.14 × 10−2 | 3.59 × 10−6 |
(8) An applicant shall estimate the total corridor risk using the following summation of risk:

(9) Alternative casualty expectancy (EC) analyses. An applicant may employ specified variations to the analysis defined by subparagraphs (c)(1)-(8). Those variations are identified in subparagraphs (9)(i) through (vi) of this paragraph. Subparagraphs (i) through (iv) permit an applicant to make conservative assumptions that would lead to an overestimation of the corridor EC compared with the analysis defined by subparagraphs (c)(1)-(8). In subparagraphs (v) and (vi), an applicant that would otherwise fail the analysis prescribed by subparagraphs (c)(1)-(8) may avoid (c)(1)-(8)'s overestimation of the probability of impact in each populated area. An applicant employing a variation shall identify the variation used, show and discuss the specific assumptions made to modify the analysis defined by subparagraphs (c)(1)-(8), and demonstrate how each assumption leads to overestimation of the corridor EC compared with the analysis defined by subparagraphs (c)(1)-(c)(8).
(vi) For a given populated area, use the ratio of the populated area to the area of the Pi rectangle from the subparagraph (c)(1)-(8) analysis.
(d) Evaluation of Results
[Doc. No. FAA-1999-5833, 65 FR 62861, Oct. 19, 2000, as amended by Amdt. 420-2, 71 FR 51972, Aug. 31, 2006; Docket No. FAA-2014-0418, Amdt. No. 420-7, 81 FR 47027, July 20, 2016]