Department of Transportation March 16, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document clarifies the intent of AD 2006-01-11, which was published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2006 (71 FR 1941). AD 2006-01-11 applies to Cessna Models 208 and 208B airplanes and requires the installation of a pilot assist handle and deicing boots on the cargo pod and landing gear fairings; and the incorporation of changes to the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) and FAA-Approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM). The compliance time for the AFM/POH change currently reads ``prior to further flight'' after the installation of the pilot assist handle, which is required within 125 days after the effective date. The AFM/POH change is related to operation in ground icing conditions and should not be attributed to the pilot assist handle installation. Therefore, the compliance time should also be within 125 days after the effective date. Additionally, the requirement of installing the accessory kit or installing a placard should only apply to those airplanes equipped with a cargo pod and pneumatic deicing boots. The way it currently is written makes it apply to all airplanes equipped with pneumatic deicing boots. This AD action rewords the compliance time and the wording for the installation or placard requirement to reflect the above concerns.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is considering a proposal to change a portion of the airport from civilian aeronautical use to military aeronautical use and to authorize the lease of the airport property. The area is a twenty-five acre parcel located in the southwest quadrant of the airport south of Runway 12/30 and west of Runway 2/20. The land is vacant and is used as a stockpile area for various construction materials and was the former site of a Nike missile silo battery. The land had been transferred to the City of Gary in 1947 by Quitclaim Deed from the Reconstruction Finance Corporation as non-surplus property as defined by section 16 of the Federal Airport Act of 1946. Public Law 102-148, dated October 10, 1991 released the land from the section 16 restriction requiring Congressional action for land releases and authorized the FAA to administer land releases. There are no adverse impacts to the airport by allowing the airport to lease the property. The land is not needed for civilian aeronautical use and a Limited Army Aviation Support Facility helicopter base, which will be operated by the Indiana National Guard, will be constructed on the property. A Joint-Use Agreement will be negotiated between the Indiana National Guard and the airport that will address all fees, charges, and assessments for services such as snow removal, fire fighting and fueling. 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. The disposition of proceeds from the lease of the airport property will be in accordance with FAA's Policy and Procedures Concerning the Use of Airport Revenue, published in the Federal Register on February 16, 1999. 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.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain McDonnell Douglas Model DC-9-10, -20, - 30, -40 and -50 series airplanes, and Model DC-9-81 (MD-81), and DC-9- 82 (MD-82) airplanes. That AD currently requires installing a water drain system for the slant pressure panels in the left and right wheel wells of the main landing gear (MLG). This new AD also requires inspecting the seal assemblies of the overwing emergency exit doors for defects and constant gap; replacing defective door seals; performing repetitive operational checks of the water drain system auto drain valve and corrective actions if necessary; and, for certain airplanes, modifying the insulation blankets on the slant pressure panels in the left and right MLG wheel wells. This AD results from reports of water runoff from the slant pressure panels in the left and right MLG wheel wells, which subsequently froze on the lateral control mixer and control cable assemblies. We are issuing this AD to prevent ice from forming on the lateral control mixer and control cable assemblies, which could reduce controllability of the airplane.