Department of Transportation January 6, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for certain RRD Tay 611-8, Tay 620-15, Tay 620-15/20, Tay 650-15, Tay 650-15/10, and Tay 651-54 turbofan engines with ice-impact panels installed in the low pressure (LP) compressor case. That AD currently requires visually inspecting all ice-impact panels and fillers in the LP compressor case for certain conditions, and if necessary, replacing any ice-impact panels and fillers that have those conditions. This AD requires initial and repetitive visual inspections of all ice-impact panels and fillers in the LP compressor case for certain conditions and replacing as necessary, any or all panels. This AD also introduces a new compliance date of no later than March 1, 2005, to have all but one engine on each airplane in compliance with the polysulfide bonding of panels. This AD results from RRD issuing two service bulletins since AD 2004-05-22 was published, that required repetitive visual inspections of panels, and defines a minimum configuration and repair standard. We are issuing this AD to prevent release of ice-impact panels due to improper bonding that can result in loss of thrust in both engines.

This document revises an earlier proposed airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Boeing Model 747-400, 777-200, and 777-300 series airplanes, that would have required, for certain airplanes, replacement of the cell stack of the flight deck humidifier with a supplier-tested cell stack, or replacement with an end plate and subsequent deactivation of the flight deck humidifier. For other airplanes, that proposed AD would have required replacement of the cell stack with a blanking plate or a new cell stack, or replacement of the blanking plate with a supplier-tested cell stack. This new action revises the proposed AD by adding airplanes to the applicability; adding new inspections to determine certain part numbers; requiring replacement of the blanking plate with a supplier-tested cell stack if necessary; and changing certain words to clarify the intent of the proposed AD. The actions specified by this new proposed AD are intended to prevent an increased pressure drop across the humidifier and consequent reduced airflow to the flight deck, which could result in the inability to clear any smoke that might appear in the flight deck. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Airbus Model A320 series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain areas of the fuselage, and corrective action if necessary. That AD also provides for an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This new AD revises the compliance threshold and repetitive intervals for the inspections required by the existing AD. This AD is prompted by a full-scale fatigue survey on the Model A320 fleet. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the fuselage, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will hold a public meeting to gather additional comment and data on a proposed Airworthiness Directive published as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Docket Number FAA-2004-18038, (Directorate Identifier 2004-NE- 01-AD), in the Federal Register on June 16, 2004. This public meeting will follow the procedure provided in Sec. 11.53 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR 11.53).

The FAA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a meeting of the Federal Aviation Air Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee (ATPAC) will be held to review present air traffic control procedures and practices for standardization, clarification, and upgrading of terminology and procedures.

These special conditions are issued for a Dassault-Breguet Model Falcon 10 airplane modified by Long Beach Avionics of Long Beach, California. The modified airplane will have novel and unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. The modification incorporates the installation of a Collins Model ALI-80 Altimeter and Model MSI-80 Mach Airspeed Indicator. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the protection of these systems from the effects of high- intensity radiated fields (HIRF). These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that provided by the existing airworthiness standards.

This amendment establishes, amends, suspends, or revokes Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed because of the adoption of new or revised criteria, or because of changes occurring in the National Airspace System, such as the commissioning of new navigational facilities, addition of new obstacles, or changes in air traffic requirements. These changes are designed to provide safe and efficient use of the navigable airspace and to promote safe flight operations under instrument flight rules at the affected airports.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes equipped with certain forward and aft passenger door emergency escape slides. This AD requires modifying the forward and aft door slides. This AD is prompted by manufacturer testing that has shown contact between the inflation hose and fabric roll, within a short period of time after inflation of the emergency escape slides, can rupture the inflation hose at its end fittings. We are issuing this AD to prevent interference between the inflation hose and slide fabric and rupture of the inflation hose, which could result in incomplete inflation of the emergency escape slides and consequent unavailability of those slides during an emergency evacuation.