Department of Transportation April 21, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA), formerly the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is granting Tractebel Power, Inc.'s (TPI) petition for a waiver of the pipeline safety regulations to employ a 1.0 longitudinal joint factor (LJF) for austenitic stainless steel pipe in its Tractebel Calypso Pipeline (TCP) project.

OPS will sponsor a 1\1/2\ day workshop to review the initial Integrity Management (IM) inspections of hazardous liquid pipeline operators. Workshop topics will cover the lessons learned, accomplishments, and future expectations for such programs from both the OPS and industry perspectives.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 2001-2005 Mercedes Benz Sprinter trucks that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards, are eligible for importation into the United States because (1) they are substantially similar to vehicles that were originally manufactured for sale in the United States and that were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety standards, and (2) they are capable of being readily altered to conform to the standards.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A320 series airplanes. This proposed AD would require installing insulator and cable ties to the electrical cables of the S routes at the gaps in the raceway in the wing trailing edge and the wing tip and wing root areas. This proposed AD is prompted by the results of fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are proposing this AD to prevent injection of high voltage current into the low voltage wiring that passes through the fuel tanks, which could result in a possible fuel tank explosion.

This notice announces the issuance of change 1 to Advisory Circular (AC) 23-21, Airworthiness Compliance Checklists Used to Substantiate Major Alterations for Small Airplanes. The most significant change is a revision in all locations to the signature required so the aircraft may be returned to service after major alteration. The Aviation Safety Inspector in the Flight Standards District Office must now sign instead of an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic. Other changes were minor.

On October 1, 1999, the FAA amended the regulations governing takeoff and landing slots and slot allocation procedures at certain High Density Traffic Airports as a result of the ``Open Transborder'' Agreement between the Government of the United States and the Government of Canada. One element of this final rule established that the deadline for submission of requests for international slots will be published in a Federal Register notice for each scheduling season. The purpose of the amendment is for the FAA deadline for international slots requests to coincide with the International Air Transport Association deadline for submission of international requests. In accordance with this amendment, the FAA announces in this notice that the deadline for submitting requests for international slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) for allocation under 14 CFR 93.217 is May 12, 2005. Additionally, the FAA has designated Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (O'Hare) as a Level 2, Schedules Facilitated Airport under the IATA Guidelines. As such, the FAA requests carriers intening to conduct international service to O'Hare submit their intended schedules following the same procedures used for submitting requests for slots at JFK.

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the application to impose and impose and use a PFC at McCarran International Airport, and use the revenue of a PFC at McCarran International Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, and North Las Vegas Airport under the provisions of the Aviation Safety and Capacity Expansion Act of 1990 (Title IX of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990) (Pub. L. 101-508) and part 158 of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR part 158).

The FAA adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Glaser-Dirks Flugzeugbau GmbH (DG Flugzeugbau) Model DG-800B sailplanes equipped with a SOLO 2625 engine or a Mid-West AE 50T engine. This AD requires you to modify the coolant pump and fuel pump electrical circuits, remove the non-resettable digital engine indicator (DEI) circuit breaker (4-ampere) and replace with a resettable 5-ampere circuit breaker, secure (for sailplanes with a SOLO 2625 engine) the choke butterfly valve axis, install edge protection at the sharp edges of the resettable 5-ampere DEI circuit breaker, and incorporate changes in the FAA-approved sailplane flight manual. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Germany. We are issuing this AD to prevent electrical failure of the fuel and coolant pumps if a non-resettable circuit breaker trips. This could result in power loss with the inability to restart the fuel pump during a critical phase of flight (for example, takeoff under own power).

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain McDonnell Douglas series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections of the electrical connectors of the explosive cartridge wiring of the engine fire extinguisher containers to verify if the identification number labels are installed and legible; repetitive electrical tests of all explosive cartridge wiring of the engine fire extinguisher containers to verify proper installation and function; and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD requires an inspection of the emergency shut off wire assembly; installation of lanyards on the electrical connectors for the engine fire extinguishing agent containers and for the auxiliary power unit fire extinguishing agent containers if applicable; and related investigative/corrective actions, as applicable. This AD is prompted by reports of cross-wired electrical connectors of the engine fire extinguishing agent containers. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cross-wired electrical connectors of the fire extinguishing system, which could release fire extinguishing agent into the incorrect engine nacelle in the event of an engine fire.