Department of Transportation January 20, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Transportation is directing all interested persons to show cause why it should not issue an order finding Friendship Airways, Inc. d/b/a Yellow Air Taxi fit, willing, and able, and awarding it Commuter Air Carrier Authorization.

DOT is relocating the time zone boundary in Indiana to move Starke, Pulaski, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Pike, Dubois, and Perry Counties from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone. DOT is not changing the time zone boundary to move St. Joseph, Marshall, Fulton, Benton, White, Carroll, Cass, Vermillion, Sullivan, and Lawrence Counties from the Eastern Time Zone to the Central Time Zone. This action is taken in response to petitions filed by the County Commissioners and extensive comment provided at public hearings and to the docket.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain EMBRAER Model EMB-120, -120ER, -120FC, -120QC, and -120RT airplanes. This AD requires installing a rivet and washer in the hole of the upper frame of the auxiliary power unit (APU) firewall. This AD results from a report indicating that, during production, a pinhole was left open at the upper frame of the APU firewall. We are issuing this AD to ensure that the APU compartment is isolated from the rest of the airplane in the event of an APU fire.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Bombardier Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, & CL-604) airplanes. This AD requires modifying the rudder balance spring assembly by installing a new adjustable balance spring, and rigging the assembly to suit the rudder of each airplane. This AD results from production inspections that showed that the spring assembly that controls rudder balance may not have the correct pre-load on some airplanes. We are issuing this AD to prevent uncommanded yaw movements and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Airbus Model A310-203, -204, and -222 airplanes, and Model A310-300 series airplanes. This AD requires a one-time rototest inspection for cracking of the frame foot and adjacent frames and skin in the area surrounding the frame foot run-outs from fuselage frames (FR) 43 through FR 46, and repair if necessary. This AD also requires modification of certain fastener holes. This AD results from a structural evaluation of Model A310 airplanes for widespread fatigue damage of the frame foot run-outs from FR 43 through FR 46. The evaluation revealed that, on in-service airplanes, undetected cracking in this area can lead to the rupture of the frame foot and subsequent cracking of the adjacent frames and fuselage skin. We are issuing this AD to prevent fatigue cracking of the frame foot run-outs, which could lead to rupture of the frame foot and cracking in adjacent frames and skin, and result in reduced structural integrity of the fuselage.