Department of Transportation September 22, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of the airport from aeronautical use to non-aeronautical use and to authorize the release of 13.6672 acres of airport property for an exchange of property between the Columbus Regional Airport Authority (CRAA) and the City of Columbus. The land currently houses a solid waste transfer station that will remain on the site. The land was conveyed to the City of Columbus in Deed Volume 2803, page 547 of the Recorder's Office, Franklin County, Ohio. The land was acquired by the City of Columbus with funding from Federal Grant 8-39-0026-01. There are no impacts to the airport by allowing the airport to dispose of the property. Approval does not constitute a commitment by the FAA to financially assist in the disposal of the subject airport property nor a determination of eligibility for grant- in-aid funding from the FAA. In exchange, the CRAA will receive a parcel of land (43.562 acres) currently being used as a golf course facility adjacent to Port Columbus International Airport. This parcel is partially located in the existing Runway Protection Zone for Runway 10R-28L as indicated on the approved Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for Port Columbus International Airport. In accordance with section 47107(h) of title 49, United States Code, this notice is required to be published in the Federal Register 30 days before modifying the land-use assurance that requires the property to be used for an aeronautical purpose.

This action establishes Class D airspace and revises Class E airspace at Big Delta, Allen Army Airfield (BIG) on Ft. Greely, Alaska. This action was taken at the request of the United States Army to enable them to establish the appropriate airspace to open an Airport Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) at BIG to support operations of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. This action also enlarges Class E Airspace from 700 ft. above the surface to the point at which it is sufficient to contain aircraft executing standard instrument approach procedures (SIAP). The new BIG ATCT is being established to provide airport traffic control service to aircraft operating at BIG due to increased airport operations caused by an expanded homeland security mission at Ft. Greely.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain CASA Model C-212-CC series airplanes. This proposed AD would restrict the operation of the airplane to carrying either passengers or cargo (but not both) in the same compartment, unless the airplane is modified to include an approved protective liner between the passengers and the cargo. This proposed AD is prompted by our determination that affected airplanes, when carrying both cargo and passengers in the same compartment, cannot achieve the required level of performance. We are proposing this AD to prevent a hazardous quantity of smoke, flames, and/or fire extinguishing agent from the cargo compartment from entering a compartment occupied by passengers or crew.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain CASA Model C-212-CC series airplanes. This proposed AD would restrict the operation of the airplane to carrying either passengers or cargo (but not both) in the same compartment, unless the airplane is modified to include an approved protective liner between the passengers and the cargo. This proposed AD is prompted by our determination that affected airplanes, when carrying both cargo and passengers in the same compartment, cannot achieve the required level of performance. We are proposing this AD to prevent a hazardous quantity of smoke, flames, and/or fire extinguishing agent from the cargo compartment from entering a compartment occupied by passengers or crew.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Boeing Model 767 series airplanes. That AD currently requires repetitive inspections to detect discrepancies of the eight aft-most fastener holes in the horizontal tangs of the midspar fitting of the strut, and corrective actions if necessary. That AD also provides an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This new AD adds repetitive inspections for cracks of the closeout angle that covers the two aft-most fasteners in the lower tang of the midspar fitting, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD also reduces the inspection interval of the upper tang of the outboard midspar fitting; and provides an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This AD results from a report of a crack in a closeout angle that covers the two aft-most fasteners in the lower tang of the midspar fitting; and the discovery of a crack in the lower tang of the midspar fitting under the cracked closeout angle. We are issuing this AD to prevent fatigue cracking in the primary strut structure and reduced structural integrity of the strut, which could result in separation of the strut and engine.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A330-202, -223, -243, and -343 airplanes; and certain Model A340-313 airplanes. This AD requires a one-time inspection for discrepancies of the attachment bolts of the windshield central retainer, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from a report indicating that, during production, the windshield central retainer may have been installed with attachment bolts that were too short, which prevented the thread of the bolt from fully engaging in the self-locking nut. We are issuing this AD to prevent loosened attachment bolts, which could result in loss of the windshield and consequent reduced structural integrity of the airplane.

This rule revises and adopts as final the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on July 20, 2004. The Maritime Administration (MARAD) is issuing this final rule to implement provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, the Maritime Security Act of 2003 (MSA 2003). The MSA 2003 authorizes the creation of a new Maritime Security Program (MSP) that establishes a fleet of active, commercially viable, privately owned vessels to meet national defense and other security requirements and to maintain a United States presence in international commercial shipping.