Department of Transportation August 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

As required by Sec. 9(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), 5 U.S.C. app., the Surface Transportation Board hereby gives notice that, following consultation with the General Services Administration, the Board will create the Toxic by Inhalation Hazard Common Carrier Transportation Advisory Committee (TIHCCTAC), to provide independent advice and policy suggestions to the Board on issues related to the common carrier obligation with respect to the rail transportation of toxic by inhalation hazards (TIH), and specifically, to outline what is a railroad's reasonable response to a shipper's request that it transport TIH cargo. The TIHCCTAC will convene for a two-year period during which the Board anticipates it will produce a report that will include a recommended policy statement for further consideration by the Board. The Board may renew the TIHCCTAC charter if the Board deems it advisable. This notice seeks comments on the proposed TIHCCTAC structure, as outlined below. It also requests nominations for members of the TIHCCTAC.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces that it is reviewing a proposed noise compatibility program that was submitted for Fort Worth Alliance Airport under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq. (the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act, hereinafter referred to as ``the Act'') and 14 CFR Part 150 by the city of Fort Worth, Texas. This program was submitted subsequent to a determination by FAA that associated noise exposure maps submitted under 14 CFR Part 150 for Fort Worth Alliance Airport were in compliance with applicable requirements, effective May 5, 2009, and published in the Federal Register on May 14, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 92, Page 22802). The proposed noise compatibility program will be approved or disapproved on or before January 25, 2011.

The Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting on August 20, 2010, concerning the Department's pending rulemaking to amend its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) rules. In connection with the meeting, the comment period on this will be reopened briefly, from August 19-25, 2010.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its determination that the noise exposure maps for T.F.Green Airport as submitted by the Rhode Island Airport Corporation under the provisions of Title I of the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act of 1979 (Pub. L. 96-193) and 14 CFR part 150, are in compliance with applicable requirements.

FMCSA announces elimination of the ``registrant-only'' USDOT number as part of the Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) program. FMCSA developed the concept of a ``registrant-only'' USDOT number to identify registered owners of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) that are not motor carriers, but lease their CMVs to entities that are motor carriers. FMCSA has concluded that registrant-only USDOT numbers are being used differently from what the Agency intended and thus the practice of issuing registrant-only numbers to entities that are not motor carriers is having an adverse affect on the Agency's ability to track motor carriers' safety violations. As a result, FMCSA made the decision to eliminate the PRISM procedure that requires non-motor carrier registrants to obtain USDOT numbers, and will maintain all existing numbers as dormant registrant- only USDOT numbers.

FMCSA announces its decision to continue in effect Volvo Trucks North America's (Volvo) exemption for five of its drivers to enable them to test-drive commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in the United States without a commercial driver's license (CDL) issued by one of the States. FMCSA previously announced its decision to renew Volvo's exemption, pending a review of public comments. No comments were received.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

The FAA proposes to rule and invite public comment on the release of land at the Dubois Regional Airport, Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania under the provisions of Section 47125(a) of Title 49 United States Code (U.S.C.).

This notice contains a summary of a petition seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of the petition or its final disposition.

This action withdraws the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2010 (75 FR 32317). In that action, the FAA proposed to remove Federal Airway Green (G-4) in Alaska. The FAA has determined that the withdrawal is warranted since the proposed action was based on the decommissioning of the Wood River Non-directional Beacon near the town of Dillingham, Alaska, which will now remain in service.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published in the Federal Register of March 10, 2010, a document on thefts of model year (MY) 2007 passenger motor vehicles that occurred in calendar year (CY) 2007. The document was published with several errors. In that publication, a vehicle line was omitted from the theft rate data which affected the overall theft rate calculation, the number of vehicle lines above the 1990/1991 median theft rate and the vehicle rankings. Additionally, vehicle line names and production numbers were listed incorrectly. The republishing of this document in its entirety corrects those errors.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on May 12, 2010 (75 FR 26837-26838).

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Model DC-9-14 and DC-9-15 airplanes; and Model DC-9-20, DC-9-30, DC-9-40, and DC-9-50 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive high frequency eddy current inspections to detect cracking in the vertical radius (also known as the ``vertical leg'') of the upper cap of the center wing rear spar, and repair if necessary. This proposed AD expands the area to be inspected by including inspections to detect cracking of the horizontal flange of the upper cap of the left and right center wing rear spar, and repair if necessary. This proposed AD also adds certain airplanes to the applicability. This proposed AD results from reports of cracking in the vertical radius of the upper cap of the center wing rear spar, and the horizontal flange on the inboard side of the rear spar upper cap, which resulted from stress corrosion. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct cracking in the vertical leg or the horizontal flange of the upper cap of the left or right center wing rear spar, which could cause a possible fuel leak, damage to the wing skin, and structural failure of the upper cap, and result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 747-400, 747-400D, and 747-400F series airplanes. This proposed AD would require modifying certain thrust reverser control system wiring to the flap control unit (FCU). This proposed AD results from a report of automatic retraction of the leading edge flaps due to indications transmitted to the FCU from the thrust reverser control system during takeoff. We are proposing this AD to prevent automatic retraction of the leading edge flaps during takeoff, which could result in reduced climb performance and consequent collision with terrain and obstacles or forced landing of the airplane.

This action proposes to establish five low altitude Area Navigation (RNAV) routes, designated T-281, T-283, T-285, T-286, and T- 288, over Nebraska and South Dakota; controlled by Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and Minneapolis ARTCC. T-routes are low altitude Air Traffic Service routes, based on RNAV, for use by aircraft that have instrument flight rules (IFR) approved Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment. This action would enhance safety and improve the efficient use of the navigable airspace within Denver and Minneapolis ARTCC airspace.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes. This AD requires revising the airplane flight manual to advise the flightcrew to use certain procedures during descent in certain icing conditions. This AD results from reports of several in-flight engine flameouts, including multiple dual engine flameout events, in ice-crystal icing conditions. We are issuing this AD to ensure that the flightcrew has the proper procedures to follow in certain icing conditions. These certain icing conditions could cause a multiple engine flameout during flight with the potential inability to restart the engines, and consequent forced landing of the airplane.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Schweizer Model 269D helicopters. This action requires installing a Scroll Housing Blade Containment Shielding Kit on each helicopter. This amendment is prompted by 21 reports of the blades of the oil cooler impeller separating, one of which punctured the engine and transmission oil cooler resulting in loss of engine oil pressure. The actions specified in this AD are intended to protect the oil cooler from uncontained oil cooler impeller blades that could damage the oil cooler and result in loss of engine and transmission oil pressure, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 737-300, -400, -500, -600, -700, and -800 series airplanes. This AD requires inspecting to verify the part number of the low-pressure flex-hoses of the crew oxygen system installed under the oxygen mask stowage boxes located within the flight deck, and replacing the flex- hose with a new non-conductive low-pressure flex-hose if necessary. This AD results from reports of low-pressure flex-hoses of the crew oxygen system that burned through due to inadvertent electrical current from a short circuit in the audio select panel. We are issuing this AD to prevent inadvertent electrical current, which can cause the low- pressure flex-hoses of the crew oxygen system to melt or burn, causing oxygen system leakage and smoke or fire.

The FAA is revising an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to all McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-10 series airplanes, DC-9-30 series airplanes, DC-9-81 (MD-81) airplanes, DC-9-82 (MD-82) airplanes, DC-9-83 (MD-83) airplanes, DC-9-87 (MD-87) airplanes, MD-88 airplanes, and MD-90-30 airplanes. That AD currently requires modifying the flight deck door. This AD revises the applicability by removing certain airplanes. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that certain equipment of the flight deck door is defective. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of this equipment, which could jeopardize flight safety.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the products listed above. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We are revising an earlier NPRM for the products listed above. This action revises the earlier NPRM by expanding the scope. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) originated by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

We are revising an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Model 747 airplanes and Model 767 airplanes. The original NPRM would have required revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) to advise the flightcrew to use certain procedures during descent in certain icing conditions. The original NPRM resulted from reports of several in-flight engine flameouts, including multiple dual engine flameout events and one total power loss event, in ice-crystal icing conditions. This action revises the original NPRM by revising the text of the proposed AFM revision. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to ensure that the flightcrew has the proper procedures to follow in certain icing conditions. These certain icing conditions could cause a multiple engine flameout during flight with the potential inability to restart the engines, and consequent forced landing of the airplane.