Department of Transportation 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice proposes special conditions for the Airbus A380- 800 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. Many of these novel or unusual design features are associated with the complex systems and the configuration of the airplane, including its full- length double deck. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards regarding stairways between decks. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Airbus Model A380-800 airplane.

This notice proposes special conditions for the Airbus A380- 800 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. Many of these novel or unusual design features are associated with the complex systems and the configuration of the airplane, including its full- length double deck. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards regarding ground turning loads. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Airbus Model A380-800 airplane.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) abstracted below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval of the new collection. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden. The Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on April 20, 2004 on page 21179.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is issuing this notice to advise the public that a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) will be prepared for proposed development included in the Sacramento County Airport Systems (SCAS) Master Plan (Master Plan) for Sacramento International Airport (SMF), Sacramento, California. To ensure that all significant issues related to the proposed action are identified, one (1) public scoping meeting and one (1) governmental and public agency scoping meeting will be held.

This notice proposes special conditions for the Airbus A380- 800 airplane. This airplane will have novel or unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport category airplanes. Many of these novel or unusual design features are associated with the complex systems and the configuration of the airplane, including its full- length double deck. For these design features, the applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards regarding escape system reliability. These proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards. Additional special conditions will be issued for other novel or unusual design features of the Airbus Model A380-800 airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain McDonnell Douglas Model 717-200 airplanes. This AD requires repetitively replacing and testing a certain relay in the passenger oxygen release system in the forward cabin. This AD results from reports of a failed relay in the passenger oxygen release system. We are issuing this AD to prevent failure of the relay, which could result in the oxygen masks failing to deploy and deliver oxygen to the passengers in the event of a rapid decompression or cabin depressurization.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 747-400 and 747-400D series airplanes. This AD requires an inspection for corrosion and cracks of the station 980 upper deck floor beam, and repair and related investigative actions if necessary. This AD results from reports of corrosion under the cart lift threshold at the station 980 upper deck floor beam. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct such corrosion, which could result in a cracked or broken floor beam, extensive damage to adjacent structure, and possible rapid decompression of the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 747 airplanes. This AD requires modifying the inflation systems of the upper deck escape slides; single-piece off- wing escape ramps/slides; two-piece off-wing escape slides; and door 1, 2, 4, and 5 escape slides/rafts. This AD results from a report of 30- to 60-second delays in the inflation of escape slides/rafts. We are issuing this AD to prevent actuation delays in the inflation systems of the escape slides/rafts, which could result in delayed or failed deployment of escape slides/rafts during emergency evacuation of an airplane.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus airplane models, as specified above. This proposed AD would require installing electro-pneumatic locking bar devices (TRAS lock systems) in the engine nacelles, installing a dedicated and shielded electrical circuit that is segregated from the existing thrust reverser control system, and performing related investigative/ corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD is prompted by the manufacturer's reassessment of the thrust reverser systems in the Airbus airplane models specified above, which showed that the thrust reverser could inadvertently deploy in flight under certain conditions. We are proposing this AD to prevent inadvertent deployment of thrust reversers in flight, which could result in reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain EMBRAER Model EMB-135 airplanes and Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive inspections of the spring cartridges of the elevator gust lock system to determine if the lock washer projection correctly fits the slots in the cartridge flange, and corrective action if necessary. The existing AD also provides for interim optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections for certain airplanes. This proposed AD would retain the requirements of the existing AD, and provide for final terminating action for all affected airplanes. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of an improperly fitting lock washer causing the clevis of the spring cartridge in the electromechanical elevator gust lock system to become unscrewed. We are proposing this AD to prevent unscrewing of the spring cartridge clevis from jamming the elevator, which could lead to reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain smoke detectors installed on various transport category airplanes. This proposed AD would require replacing the affected smoke detectors with modified smoke detectors. This proposed AD is prompted by a report indicating that the affected smoke detectors can ``lock up'' during electrical power transfer from the auxiliary power unit to the engines. We are proposing this AD to identify and provide corrective action for a potentially inoperative smoke detector and to ensure that the flightcrew is alerted in the event of a fire.

This amendment adopts a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Bell Helicopter Textron (Bell) Model 206A and 206B helicopters modified by Aeronautical Accessories, Inc. Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SH1392SO with certain part-numbered high crosstubes. This amendment requires inspecting at specified time intervals and replacing any cracked crosstubes. This amendment is prompted by the discovery of a cracked high forward crosstube. The actions specified by this AD are intended to detect a crack in the crosstube which could lead to failure of the crosstube, collapse of the landing gear, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

This final rule amends NHTSA's regulation on service of process on foreign manufacturers and importers to clarify existing regulatory requirements by rephrasing the regulation in a plain language, question and answer format and inserting an appendix containing a suggested designation form for use by foreign manufacturers and their agents. It also will enhance communications between foreign manufacturers and the agency by spelling out existing requirements for providing notice to NHTSA of changes in company name, address and product names, and changing the office to which foreign manufacturers must submit designation and related documents to reflect organizational changes occurring since the regulation was adopted.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice announces that the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below has been forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for extension of currently approved collection. The ICR describes the nature of the information collection and the expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on the following collection of information was published on May 23, 2005, [FR 70, page 29553].

This action revises Very High Frequency Omni-directional Range (VOR) Federal Airways V-9, V-50, V-67, V-69, V-129, V-173 and V-233; and Jet Routes J-35, J-80, J-101 and J-137 over the Springfield, IL area. The FAA is taking this action due to the relocation of the Capital VOR/Tactical Air Navigation (VORTAC) and the renaming of the ``Capital VORTAC'' to the ``Spinner VORTAC'' to enhance the management of aircraft operations over the Springfield, IL area.

The FAA publishes a monthly notice, as appropriate, of PFC approvals and disapprovals 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). This notice is published pursuant to paragraph d of Sec. 158.29.

This document announces receipt by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 1997 Ford Mustang passenger cars 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 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.

This final rule amends FAA regulations regarding airplane noise certification standards. These changes are necessary to harmonize two technical items with international standards and provide uniform noise certification standards for airplanes certificated in the United States and Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) countries. This amendment will simplify airworthiness approvals for import and export purposes. We anticipate that the changes to these two items will apply only to a small number of older-technology airplanes.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces the determination that the noise exposure maps submitted by Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority for Memphis International Airport under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 47501 et seq (Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act) and 14 CFR Part 150 are in compliance with applicable requirements.

This action amends the rule governing the disclosure of code- share and long-term wet lease arrangements in print advertisements of scheduled passenger services to permit carriers to disclose generically that some of the advertised service may involve travel on another carrier, so long as they also identify a list of all potential carriers involved in serving the markets advertised. The action is taken in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by United Airlines, Inc.

As authorized by Public Law 105-383 and Public Law 107-295, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.- build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below. The complete application is given in DOT docket 2005-21996 at https:// dms.dot.gov. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in accordance with Public Law 105-383 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003), that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a waiver will not be granted. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver criteria given in Sec. 388.4 of MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388.

As authorized by Public Law 105-383 and Public Law 107-295, the Secretary of Transportation, as represented by the Maritime Administration (MARAD), is authorized to grant waivers of the U.S.- build requirement of the coastwise laws under certain circumstances. A request for such a waiver has been received by MARAD. The vessel, and a brief description of the proposed service, is listed below. The complete application is given in DOT docket 2005-21995 at https:// dms.dot.gov. Interested parties may comment on the effect this action may have on U.S. vessel builders or businesses in the U.S. that use U.S.-flag vessels. If MARAD determines, in accordance with Public Law 105-383 and MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388 (68 FR 23084; April 30, 2003), that the issuance of the waiver will have an unduly adverse effect on a U.S.-vessel builder or a business that uses U.S.-flag vessels in that business, a waiver will not be granted. Comments should refer to the docket number of this notice and the vessel name in order for MARAD to properly consider the comments. Comments should also state the commenter's interest in the waiver application, and address the waiver criteria given in Sec. 388.4 of MARAD's regulations at 46 CFR Part 388.

The FAA proposes to rule and invites public comment on the release of land at Chickasha Municipal Airport under the provisions of Title 49 United States Code, Section 47153.

This document proposes to establish Class E5 airspace at Gardner, KS.