Department of Transportation January 27, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to all Airbus Model A319, A320, and A321 series airplanes, that requires operators to revise the Airworthiness Limitations section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate new and more restrictive service life limits for certain items, and new and more restrictive inspections to detect fatigue cracking, accidental damage, or corrosion in certain structures. The actions specified by this AD are intended to ensure the continued structural integrity of these airplanes. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.

This is to notify the public that RSPA has determined that a number of DOT specification compressed gas cylinders seized by the State of Maine, Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP), may have been marked as requalified in accordance with the HMR when the cylinders were not subjected to testing. During property seizure proceedings, MDEP took possession of numerous cylinders owned by Harry J. Smith, Jr., and his daughter, Dawn Smith, of Meddybemps, Maine, in accordance with a state mandated environmental clean-up of the Smiths' property. RSPA has gathered evidence that suggests the high-pressure DOT specification industrial gas cylinders owned by the Smiths may have been marked, certified and returned to service when the cylinders had not been properly requalified in accordance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR). A hydrostatic retest and visual inspection are used to verify the structural integrity of compressed gas cylinders. If a hydrostatic retest and visual inspection are not performed within the time period required by the HMR, cylinders with compromised structural integrity may be returned to service when they should be condemned. Extensive property damage, serious personal injury, or death could result from rupture of a cylinder.

On October 25, 2002, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published the final rule for Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 136, National Parks Air Tour Management (67 FR 65662). The rule became effective on January 23, 2003. In accordance with the provisions of the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000, the final rule stated that the commercial air tour operators granted interim operating authority (IOA) would be published in the Federal Register for notice and the opportunity for comment. Based on information received from multiple sources and our own review, the FAA believes there may be some errors in the number of commercial air tours initially reported to the FAA. Thus, the FAA believes it is in the public interest to provide an opportunity for air tour operators to review and self-correct their annual authorizations prior to issuing the statutorily required notice. This notice announces the self- correcting opportunity and procedure. Responses should be provided to the contact person below by February 21, 2005.

This notice announces NHTSA's publication of three technical reports estimating how many lives have been saved by vehicle safety technologies meeting the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and their costs. The reports' titles are: Lives Saved by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Other Vehicle Safety Technologies, 1960- 2002, Passenger Cars and Light Trucks; Cost and Weight Added by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Model Years 1968-2001 in Passenger Cars and Light Trucks; and Cost Per Life Saved by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Pratt & Whitney (PW) JT8D-209, -217, -217A, -217C, and -219 series turbofan engines. That AD currently requires torque inspection of the 3rd stage and 4th stage low pressure turbine (LPT) blades for shroud notch wear and replacement of the blade if wear limits are exceeded. This AD continues to require those torque inspections at shorter inspection intervals of the refurbished 3rd stage and 4th stage LPT blades, but the same or longer inspection intervals of the new 3rd stage and 4th stage LPT blades, for shroud notch wear and replacement of the blade if wear limits are exceeded. This AD also requires replacing LPT-to-exhaust case bolts and nuts with bolts and nuts made of Tinidur material. This AD results from reports of 194 blade fractures since 1991, with 37 of those blade fractures resulting in LPT case separation, and three reports of uncontained 3rd stage and 4th stage LPT blade failures with cowl penetration. We are issuing this AD to prevent an uncontained blade failure that could result in damage to the airplane.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Rolls-Royce (RR) plc RB211-535E4-37, RB211-535E4-B-37, and RB211-535E4-B-75 series turbofan engines. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive ultrasonic inspections of installed LPC fan blade roots on-wing and during overhaul using a surface wave ultrasonic probe, and relubrication, according to accumulated life cycles. That AD also adds the application of Metco 58 blade root coating as an optional terminating action. This AD requires the same actions, but changes the reference to Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) No. RB.211-72-C879 from Revision 3 to Revision 4. This AD results from RR issuing MSB No. RB.211-72-C879, Revision 4, which contains revised Accomplishment Instructions and consumable materials list. We are issuing this AD to detect cracks in low pressure compressor (LPC) fan blade roots, which if not detected, could lead to uncontained multiple fan blade failure, and damage to the airplane.