Department of Transportation November 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This action proposes to introduce new airworthiness standards to evaluate the performance and handling characteristics of transport category airplanes in icing conditions. This proposed action would improve the level of safety for new airplane designs when operating in icing conditions, and would harmonize the U.S. and European airworthiness standards for flight in icing conditions.

This final rule increases the application fee for administrative waivers of the coastwise trade laws from $300 to $500. The increased fee will align the application fee with the actual cost of processing and issuing each waiver.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 1999-2001 Ducati 996 Biposto motorcycles that were not originally manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS) are eligible for importation into the United States because (1) they are substantially similar to vehicles that were originally manufactured for importation into and 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 adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes. This AD requires you to inspect the left and right main landing gear (MLG) assemblies for any part number (P/N) 532.10.12.077 or FAA- approved equivalent part number bolts that do not have white primed and painted heads; and replace any bolt found with new P/N 532.10.12.077F or FAA-approved equivalent part number bolts in all MLG assemblies. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct any P/N 532.10.12.077 or FAA- approved equivalent part number bolts that do not have white primed and painted heads, which could result in corrosion of the bolt and consequent failure of the bolt. This failure could lead to MLG collapse during airplane landing and take-off operations with consequent loss of airplane control.

This action proposes to establish Restricted Area 5601F (R- 5601F) at Fort Sill, OK. The United States (U.S.) Army requests that the FAA take action to establish R-5601F to provide additional airspace needed to support new high angle air-to-ground training requirements for Air Force, Navy, and Marine aircraft operating over the Falcon Bombing Range. This action would also enhance Fort Sill's ability to host joint training.

The rule allows some experienced pilots who would otherwise qualify as flight instructors or check airmen, but who are not medically eligible to hold the requisite medical certificate, to perform flight instructor or check airmen functions in a simulator.

FRA is amending the Federal Track Safety Standards to improve the inspection of rail joints in continuous welded rail (CWR). This interim final rule (IFR) requires track owners to develop and implement a procedure for the detailed inspection of rail joints in CWR. This IFR also requires track owners to keep records of those inspections.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) for Pratt & Whitney (PW) JT9D series turbofan engines. That AD currently requires revisions to the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the manufacturer's Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA) to include required enhanced inspection of selected critical life-limited parts at each piece-part opportunity. This proposed AD would modify the JT9D series engines ALS sections of the manufacturer's manuals and an air carrier's approved continuous airworthiness maintenance program to incorporate additional inspection requirements. The mandatory inspections are needed to identify those critical rotating parts with conditions, which if allowed to continue in service, could result in uncontained failures. We are proposing this AD to prevent critical life-limited rotating engine part failure, which could result in an uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.

The FAA will hold an informal public meeting to seek aviation weather user input on convective weather products. Details: November 10, 2005; Orlando Orange County Convention Center, 9800 International Drive, Room N210A, Orlando, Florida 32819, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The objective of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for interested Government and commercial sector representatives who use Government- provided aviation weather information in operational decision-making to provide input on FAA's plans for implementing new convective weather products.

This amendment amends Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) for operations at certain airports. These regulatory actions are needed 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.

On May 23, 2005, the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) received an application for a launch license from Space Exploration Technologies, Inc. (SpaceX) to conduct launches of its Falcon 1 launch vehicle from Omelek Island, U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site (USAKA/RTS). The FAA participated as a cooperating agency with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC) in preparation of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Proof-of-Principle Space Launches from Omelek Island (February 2005). The EA analyzed the environmental consequences of conducting two proof-of-principle launches of the Falcon 1 Launch Vehicle from Omelek Island, USAKA/RTS. From its independent review and consideration, the FAA has determined that the FAA's proposed action is substantially the same as the actions already analyzed in the USASMDC EA and that FAA's comments and suggestions have been satisfied (see 1506.3(c) and FAA Order 1050.1E, 518h). The FAA formally adopts the EA and hereby incorporates the analysis to support its decision on this license application. After reviewing and analyzing currently available data and information on existing conditions, project impacts, and measures to mitigate those impacts, the FAA has determined that licensing the proposed launch activities is not a Federal action that would significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required and the FAA is issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FAA made this determination in accordance with all applicable environmental laws.

This notice announces the criteria, application procedures, and schedule to be applied by the Secretary of Transportation in designating or redesignating, and funding capital development annually for up to 15 current (joint-use) or former military airports seeking designation or redesignation to participate in the Military Airport Program (MAP). The MAP allows the Secretary to designate current (joint-use) or former military airports to receive grants from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP). The Secretary is authorized to designate an airport (other than an airport designated before August 24, 1994) only if: (1) The airport is a former military installation closed or realigned under the Title 10 U.S.C. 2687 (announcement of closures of large Department of Defense installations after September 30, 1977), or under section 201 or 2905 of the Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Acts; or (2) the airport is a military installation with both military and civil aircraft operations. The Secretary shall consider for designation only those current or former military airports, at least partly converted to civilian airports as part of the national air transportation system, that will reduce delays at airports with more than 20,000 hours of annual delays in commercial passenger aircraft takeoffs and landings, or will enhance airport and air traffic control system capacity in metropolitan areas or reduce current and projected flight delays (49 U.S.C. 47118(c)).

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. The nature of the information collection is described as well as its expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on August 15, 2005, and comments were due by October 14, 2005. No comments were received.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the selection of projects to be funded under Fiscal Year 2005 appropriations for the Over-the-Road Bus (OTRB) Accessibility Program, authorized by Section 3038 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). The OTRB Accessibility Program makes funds available to private operators of over-the-road buses to help finance the incremental capital and training costs of complying with DOT's over-the-road bus accessibility rule, published in the Federal Register on September 24, 1998.

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for a proposed highway project in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD), applicable to certain Mitsubishi Model YS-11 airplanes, and Model YS- 11A-200, YS-11A-300, YS-11A-500, and YS-11A-600 series airplanes. This AD requires repetitive removal of the spinner; repetitive detailed inspections of the propeller hub to detect fatigue cracking; and replacement of a propeller hub with a new propeller hub, if necessary. This action is necessary to detect and correct fatigue cracking of the propeller hub, which could cause the loss of the propeller. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.