Department of Transportation – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

The Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to issue coastwise endorsement eligibility determinations for foreign-built vessels which will carry no more than twelve passengers for hire. A request for such a determination has been received by MARAD. By this notice, MARAD seeks comments from interested parties as to any effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. Information about the requestor's vessel, including a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below.

This action proposes to amend the Class D and Class E airspace at Cincinnati, OH. The FAA is proposing this action as the result of an airspace review conducted as part of the decommissioning of the Cincinnati very high frequency omnidirectional range (VOR) as part of the VOR Minimum Operational Network (MON) Program. This action would also update the name of the airport to coincide with the FAA's aeronautical database. This action will bring the airspace into compliance with FAA orders and support instrument flight rule (IFR) procedures and operations.

This action proposes amending Class D airspace extending upward from the surface for Simmons Army Air Field, Fort Liberty, NC, updating the geographic coordinates, and amending verbiage in the description.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus SAS Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations are necessary. This AD requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This action modifies the Class E airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface and removes the Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 feet above the surface at Klawock Airport, Klawock, AK. Additionally, this action updates the administrative portion of the airport's existing Class E airspace legal description. These modifications support the safety and management of instrument flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FAA invites public comments about our intention to request the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval to renew an information collection. The collection involves maintaining and recording ``the status of life-limited parts of each airframe, engine, propeller, rotor, and appliance. The information to be collected is necessary for maintaining and recording that the part is airworthy.

The FAA announces a clarification of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) policy regarding the review of payloads to be launched or reentered under an FAA license. Given the increasing complexity of payloads on the growing volume of FAA-licensed launches or reentries, the FAA is updating its payload review policy to require applicants for a payload review to disclose the contents and composition of all payloads, including those of all hosted payloads.

PHMSA is publishing this notice to inform interested parties on how PHMSA evaluates and determines whether a special permit can be considered consistent with the public interest. This notice outlines the criteria PHMSA used to evaluate special permit applications on the basis of public interest.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2022-13-16 for all GE Aviation Czech s.r.o. (GEAC) (type certificate previously held by WALTER Engines a.s., Walter a.s., and MOTORLET a.s.) Model M601D-11 engines; and AD 2022-14-12, for certain GEAC Model M601D-11, M601E-11, M601E-11A, M601E-11AS, M601E-11S, and M601F engines. AD 2022- 13-16 required revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing engine maintenance manual (EMM) to incorporate a visual inspection of the centrifugal compressor case for cracks. AD 2022-14-12 required replacing the propeller shaft for Model M601F engines. AD 2022-14-12 also required calculating the accumulated life of the propeller shaft and replacing the propeller shaft, if necessary, for model M601D-11, M601E-11, M601E-11A, M601E-11AS, and M601E-11S engines. Since the FAA issued AD 2022-13-16 and AD 2022-14-12, the manufacturer revised the ALS of the existing EMM to introduce new and more restrictive tasks and limitations, expand the applicability to all Model M601 engines, and incorporate certain requirements addressed by AD 2021-13-07 and AD 2023-01-10, which prompted this AD. This AD requires revising the ALS of the existing EMM and the operator's existing approved engine maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new and more restrictive tasks and limitations, as specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. This design feature is side-facing seats oriented in the aircraft with the occupant facing 90 degrees to the direction of aircraft travel. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

On March 17, 2023, FHWA published a request for comments on its existing general applicability waiver for manufactured products under its Buy America waiver authorities. Following the review and consideration of comments, FHWA is proposing to discontinue the waiver. The FHWA is also proposing standards for applying Buy America requirements to manufactured products should the waiver be discontinued. To ensure the continued effective implementation of FHWA programs that would be subject to new requirements for manufactured products, FHWA is seeking additional information on the domestic availability of specific manufactured products commonly used in FHWA- funded projects. To ensure the Agency has the most comprehensive and current information available on the domestic market for manufactured products used in FHWA infrastructure projects, FHWA is especially interested in comments detailing domestic materials sourcing, market readiness, timeliness of product supply, and other considerations.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Canada Limited Partnership Model BD-500-1A11 airplanes. This AD was prompted by a manufacturing issue with an electrical connector that may prevent the connector from self-locking. This AD requires removing the affected connector, installing a new connector, and testing the emergency power supply units (EPSUs), as specified in a Transport Canada AD, which is incorporated by reference. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA is superseding Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-20- 13, which applied to certain Bombardier, Inc., Model CL-600-2B16 (604 Variant) airplanes. AD 2021-20-13 required repetitive lubrication and repetitive detailed visual inspections (DVI) and non-destructive test (NDT) inspections of the main landing gear (MLG) shock strut lower pins, and replacement if necessary. This AD continues to require the lubrication and inspections specified in AD 2021-20-13 until the MLG shock strut assembly is modified by replacing the trailing arm bushing and installing new dynamic joint components. This AD was prompted by a new design solution for this potential failure of the shock strut lower pin. The FAA is issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise other Federal, State, and local agencies, Tribes, and the public that a Revised Supplemental Environmental Assessment (RSEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) have been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act for the proposed Interstate-5 (I-5) Rose Quarter Improvement Project to improve safety and operations on I- 5 between Interstate-84 and Interstate-405 in the Rose Quarter District of downtown Portland, Oregon.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT or the Department) is proposing to strengthen its rule implementing the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to address the serious problems that individuals with disabilities using wheelchairs and scooters face when traveling by air that impact their safety and dignity, including mishandled wheelchairs and scooters and improper transfers to and from aircraft seats, aisle chairs, and personal wheelchairs.

This action amends the Class D and Class E airspace and revokes Class E airspace at Clarksburg, WV. This action is the result of a biennial airspace review. This action brings the airspace into compliance with FAA orders to support instrument flight rule (IFR) operations.

These special conditions are issued for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation (Gulfstream) Model GVIII-G700 and GVIII-G800 series airplanes. These airplanes will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is a high-incidence protection system that limits the angle of attack at which the airplane can be flown during normal low speed operation. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

In accordance with the procedures governing the application for, and the processing of, special permits from the Department of Transportation's Hazardous Material Regulations, notice is hereby given that the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety has received the application described herein.

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

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain The Boeing Company Model 737-8, 737-9, and 737-8200 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of a non- conforming installation of spoiler wire bundles that led to unintended spoiler motion, including one instance of spoiler hardover. Further investigation identified the potential for a hardover of more than one flight spoiler on the same wing, which can exceed full lateral control capability leading to loss of control of the airplane. This proposed AD would require a one-time inspection of the clearance between the spoiler control wire bundles and the adjacent structure, and applicable on-condition actions. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-11-17 and AD 2021-11-22, which apply to all Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH (AHD) Model EC135P1, EC135P2, EC135P2+, EC135P3, EC135T1, EC135T2, EC135T2+, and EC135T3 helicopters. AD 2021-11-17 requires a one-time visual inspection of certain part-numbered main rotor actuators (MRAs). AD 2021-11-22 requires revising the life limits of certain parts and removing each part that has reached its life limit. Since the FAA issued those ADs, it was determined that repetitive inspections of the MRAs are necessary, new and more restrictive tasks and limitations have been issued, and that it is necessary to expand the applicability. This proposed AD would continue to require the actions required by AD 2021-11-17 and AD 2021-11-22, except this proposed AD would require changing the one-time MRA inspection to a repetitive inspection and incorporating other new and more restrictive tasks and limitations by revising the airworthiness limitations section (ALS) of the existing helicopter maintenance manual or instructions for continued airworthiness and the existing approved maintenance or inspection program, as applicable. This proposed AD would also expand the applicability by adding Model EC635T2+ helicopters. These actions are specified in a European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD, which is proposed for incorporation by reference. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.