Proposed Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Yakima, WA, 40140-40142 [2020-14346]

Agencies

• Federal Aviation Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40140-40142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14346]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

14 CFR Part 71

[Docket No. FAA-2020-0606; Airspace Docket No. 19-ANM-100]
RIN 2120-AA66


Proposed Amendment of Class D and E Airspace; Yakima, WA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).

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SUMMARY: This action proposes to amend Class D airspace at Yakima Air 
Terminal/McAllister Field Airport. This action also proposes to amend 
Class E airspace, designated as a surface area. Additionally, this 
action proposes to remove Class E airspace, designated as an extension 
to a Class D or Class E surface area. Further, this action proposes to 
amend Class E airspace, extending upward from 700 feet above the 
surface, and remove the Class E airspace extending upward from 1,200 
feet above the surface. This action also proposes to remove the Yakima 
VOR from the Class E5 airspace legal description. Lastly, this action 
proposes administrative corrections to the airspaces legal 
descriptions. This action would ensure the safety and management of IFR 
operations at the airport.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before August 20, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Send comments on this proposal to the U.S. Department of 
Transportation, Docket Operations, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West 
Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590; telephone: 
1-800-647-5527, or (202) 366-9826. You must identify FAA Docket No. 
FAA-2020-0606; Airspace Docket No. 19-ANM-100, at the beginning of your 
comments. You may also submit comments through the internet at https://www.regulations.gov.
    FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, and 
subsequent amendments can be viewed online at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/. For further information, you can contact the 
Airspace Policy Group, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20591; telephone: (202) 267-
8783. The Order is also available for inspection at the National 
Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the 
availability of FAA Order 7400.11D at NARA, email [email protected] 
or go to https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Van Der Wal, Federal Aviation 
Administration, Western Service Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 
S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 98198; telephone (206) 231-3695.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority for This Rulemaking

    The FAA's authority to issue rules regarding aviation safety is 
found in Title 49 of the United States Code. Subtitle I, Section 106 
describes the authority of the FAA Administrator. Subtitle VII, 
Aviation Programs, describes in more detail the scope of the agency's 
authority. This rulemaking is promulgated under the authority described 
in Subtitle VII, Part A, Subpart I, Section 40103. Under that section, 
the FAA is charged with prescribing regulations to assign the use of 
airspace necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient 
use of airspace. This regulation is within the scope of that authority, 
as it would amend the Class D and Class E airspace at Yakima Air 
Terminal/McAllister Field Airport, Yakima, WA, to support instrument 
flight rules (IFR) operations at the airport.

Comments Invited

    Interested parties are invited to participate in this proposed 
rulemaking by submitting such written data, views, or arguments, as 
they may desire. Comments that provide the factual basis supporting the 
views and suggestions presented are particularly helpful in developing 
reasoned regulatory decisions on the proposal. Comments are 
specifically invited on the overall regulatory, aeronautical, economic, 
environmental, and energy-related aspects of the proposal. 
Communications should identify both docket numbers and be submitted in 
triplicate to the address listed above. Persons wishing the FAA to 
acknowledge receipt of their comments on this notice must submit with 
those comments a self-addressed, stamped postcard on which the 
following statement is made: ``Comments to Docket No. FAA-2020-0606; 
Airspace Docket No. 19-ANM-100''. The postcard will be date/time 
stamped and returned to the commenter.
    All communications received before the specified closing date for 
comments will be considered before taking action on the proposed rule. 
The proposal contained in this notice may be changed

[[Page 40141]]

in light of the comments received. A report summarizing each 
substantive public contact with FAA personnel concerned with this 
rulemaking will be filed in the docket.

Availability of NPRMs

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded through the 
internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Recently published rulemaking 
documents can also be accessed through the FAA's web page at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/airspace_amendments/.
    You may review the public docket containing the proposal, any 
comments received, and any final disposition in person in the Dockets 
Office (see the ADDRESSES section for the address and phone number) 
between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal 
holidays. An informal docket may also be examined during normal 
business hours at the Northwest Mountain Regional Office of the Federal 
Aviation Administration, Air Traffic Organization, Western Service 
Center, Operations Support Group, 2200 S 216th Street, Des Moines, WA 
98198.

Availability and Summary of Documents for Incorporation by Reference

    This document proposes to amend FAA Order 7400.11D, Airspace 
Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and effective 
September 15, 2019. FAA Order 7400.11D is publicly available as listed 
in the ADDRESSES section of this document. FAA Order 7400.11D lists 
Class A, B, C, D, and E airspace areas, air traffic service routes, and 
reporting points.

The Proposal

    The FAA is proposing an amendment to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) Part 71 by amending the Class D airspace at Yakima 
Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport. To properly contain IFR 
departures flying toward or over rising terrain, two extensions should 
be added to the airspace area. One extension would be east of the 
airport and the other extension would be west of the airport. The 
airspace area would be described as follows: That airspace extending 
upward from the surface to and including 3,600 feet MSL within a 4.2-
mile radius of the airport, and within 2.6 miles each side of the 
103[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 4.2-mile radius 
to 8.8 miles east of the airport, and within 2.3 miles each side of the 
289[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 4.2-mile radius 
to 6.9 miles west of Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport. This 
surface area is effective during the specific dates and times 
established, in advance, by a Notice to Airmen. The effective date and 
time will thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.
    This action also proposes to amend Class E airspace, designated as 
a surface area, to be coincident with the new Class D dimensions. The 
airspace area would be described as follows: That airspace extending 
upward from the surface within a 4.2-mile radius of the airport, and 
within 2.6 miles each side of the 103[deg] bearing from the airport, 
extending from the 4.2-mile radius to 8.8 miles east of the airport, 
and within 2.3 miles each side of the 289[deg] bearing from the 
airport, extending from the 4.2-mile radius to 6.9 miles west of Yakima 
Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport. This Class D airspace area is 
effective during the specific dates and times established, in advance, 
by a Notice to Airmen. The effective date and time will thereafter be 
continuously published in the Chart Supplement.
    Additionally, this action proposes to remove Class E airspace, 
designated as an extension to a Class D or Class E surface area. This 
area is not required based on the instrument procedures published for 
the airport.
    Further, this action proposes to amend Class E airspace extending 
upward from 700 feet above the surface. To properly size the area, it 
should be significantly reduced. This area is designed to contain IFR 
departures to 1,200 feet above the surface and IFR arrivals descending 
below 1,500 feet above the surface. This airspace area would be 
described as follows: That airspace extending upward from 700 feet 
above the surface within a 4.2-mile radius of the airport, and within 
3.4 miles each side of the 107[deg] bearing from the airport, extending 
from the 4.2-mile radius to 11.3 miles east of the airport, and within 
3.6 miles each side of the 290[deg] bearing from the airport, extending 
from the 4.2-mile radius to 11.6 miles west of Yakima Air Terminal/
McAllister Field Airport.
    This action also proposes to remove Class E airspace extending 
upward from 1,200 feet above the surface. This area is designed to 
contain IFR aircraft transitioning to/from the terminal and en route 
environments. This area is wholly contained within Class E en route 
airspace which overlies the entire Yakima area, duplication is not 
necessary.
    The action proposes to remove the Yakima VOR and all references to 
the VOR from the Class E5 legal description. The navigational aid is 
not needed to define the airspace. Removal of the navigational aid 
allows the airspace to be defined from a single reference point, which 
simplifies how the airspace is described.
    Lastly, this action proposes administrative corrections to the 
airspaces legal descriptions. The airport name on the second line of 
the text header does not match the FAA database and should be updated 
to ``Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport''. The airport's 
geographic coordinates do not match the FAA database and should be 
updated to ``lat. 46[deg]34'05'' N, long. 120[deg]32'39'' W'' The last 
two sentences in the Class D and Class E surface area legal 
descriptions contain incorrect verbiage, the sentences should be 
updated to ``This Class D (or E, as appropriate) airspace area is 
effective during the specific dates and times established, in advance, 
by a Notice to Airmen. The effective date and time will thereafter be 
continuously published in the Chart Supplement.''
    Class D, E2, E4, and E5 airspace designations are published in 
paragraphs 5000, 6002, 6004, and 6005, respectively, of FAA Order 
7400.11D, dated August 8, 2019, and effective September 15, 2019, which 
is incorporated by reference in 14 CFR 71.1. The Class E airspace 
designations listed in this document will be published subsequently in 
the Order.
    FAA Order 7400.11, Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, is 
published yearly and effective on September 15.

Regulatory Notices and Analyses

    The FAA has determined that this regulation only involves an 
established body of technical regulations for which frequent and 
routine amendments are necessary to keep them operationally current, is 
non-controversial, and unlikely to result in adverse or negative 
comments. It, therefore: (1) Is not a ``significant regulatory action'' 
under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not a ``significant rule'' under 
DOT Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44 FR 11034; February 26, 
1979); and (3) does not warrant preparation of a regulatory evaluation 
as the anticipated impact is so minimal. Since this is a routine matter 
that will only affect air traffic procedures and air navigation, it is 
certified that this rule, when promulgated, would not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities 
under the criteria of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

[[Page 40142]]

Environmental Review

    This proposal will be subject to an environmental analysis in 
accordance with FAA Order 1050.1F, ``Environmental Impacts: Policies 
and Procedures'' prior to any FAA final regulatory action.

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 71

    Airspace, Incorporation by reference, Navigation (air).

The Proposed Amendment

    Accordingly, pursuant to the authority delegated to me, the Federal 
Aviation Administration proposes to amend 14 CFR part 71 as follows:

PART 71--DESIGNATION OF CLASS A, B, C, D, AND E AIRSPACE AREAS; AIR 
TRAFFIC SERVICE ROUTES; AND REPORTING POINTS

0
1. The authority citation for 14 CFR part 71 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(f), 106(g), 40103, 40113, 40120; E.O. 
10854, 24 FR 9565, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 389.


Sec.  71.1  [Amended]

0
2. The incorporation by reference in 14 CFR 71.1 of FAA Order 7400.11D, 
Airspace Designations and Reporting Points, dated August 8, 2019, and 
effective September 15, 2019, is amended as follows:

Paragraph 5000 Class D Airspace.

* * * * *

ANM WA D Yakima, WA [Amended]

Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport, WA
    (Lat. 46[deg]34'05'' N, long. 120[deg]32'39'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface to and including 
3,600 feet MSL within a 4.2-mile radius of the airport, and within 
2.6 miles each side of the 103[deg] bearing from the airport, 
extending from the 4.2-mile radius to 8.8 miles east of the airport, 
and within 2.3 miles each side of the 289[deg] bearing from the 
airport, extending from the 4.2-mile radius to 6.9 miles west of 
Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport. This Class D airspace 
area is effective during the specific dates and times established, 
in advance, by a Notice to Airmen. The effective date and time will 
thereafter be continuously published in the Chart Supplement.
* * * * *

ANM WA E2 Yakima, WA [Amended]

Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport, WA
    (Lat. 46[deg]34'05'' N, long. 120[deg]32'39'' W)

    That airspace extending upward from the surface within a 4.2-
mile radius of the airport, and within 2.6 miles each side of the 
103[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 4.2-mile 
radius to 8.8 miles east of the airport, and within 2.3 miles each 
side of the 289[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 
4.2-mile radius to 6.9 miles west of Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister 
Field Airport. This Class E airspace area is effective during the 
specific dates and times established, in advance, by a Notice to 
Airmen. The effective date and time will thereafter be continuously 
published in the Chart Supplement.

Paragraph 6004 Class E Airspace Areas Designated as an Extension to 
a Class D or Class E Surface Area.

* * * * *

ANM WA E4 Yakima, WA [Revoked]

Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport
    (Lat. 46[deg]34'05.4'' N, long. 120[deg]32'39'' W)

Paragraph 6005 Class E Airspace Areas Extending Upward from 700 
feet or more above the Surface of the Earth.

* * * * *

ANM WA E5 Yakima, WA [Amended]

Yakima Air Terminal/McAllister Field Airport
    (Lat. 46[deg]34'05'' N, long. 120[deg]32'39'' W)
    That airspace extending upward from 700 feet above the surface 
within a 4.2-mile radius of the airport, and within 3.4 miles each 
side of the 107[deg] bearing from the airport, extending from the 
4.2-mile radius to 11.3 miles east of the airport, and within 3.6 
miles each side of the 290[deg] bearing from the airport, extending 
from the 4.2-mile radius to 11.6 miles west of Yakima Air Terminal/
McAllister Field Airport.

    Issued in Seattle, Washington, on June 29, 2020.
Shawn M. Kozica,
Group Manager, Operations Support Group, Western Service Center.
[FR Doc. 2020-14346 Filed 7-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P