FAA Federal Aviation Regulations (FARS, 14 CFR)

(a) The main wing flaps and related movable surfaces as a system must --

(1) Be synchronized by a mechanical interconnection between the movable flap surfaces that is independent of the flap drive system; or by an approved equivalent means; or

(2) Be designed so that the occurrence of any failure of the flap system that would result in an unsafe flight characteristic of the airplane is extremely improbable; or

(b) The airplane must be shown to have safe flight characteristics with any combination of extreme positions of individual movable surfaces (mechanically interconnected surfaces are to be considered as a single surface).

(c) If an interconnection is used in multiengine airplanes, it must be designed to account for the unsummetrical loads resulting from flight with the engines on one side of the plane of symmetry inoperative and the remaining engines at takeoff power. For single-engine airplanes, and multiengine airplanes with no slipstream effects on the flaps, it may be assumed that 100 percent of the critical air load acts on one side and 70 percent on the other.

[Doc. No. 4080, 29 FR 17955, Dec. 18, 1964, as amended by Amdt. 23-14, 38 FR 31821, Nov. 19, 1973; Amdt. 23-42, 56 FR 353, Jan. 3, 1991; 56 FR 5455, Feb. 11, 1991; Amdt. 23-49, 61 FR 5165, Feb. 9, 1996]