Department of Transportation April 5, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The FAA is revising an earlier NPRM for an airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain BAE Systems (Operations) Limited Model BAe 146 airplanes. The original NPRM would have required repetitive inspections to measure the depth of chafing or scoring in the skin along the full length of the wing-to-fuselage fairing from forward to aft ends at the contact between the seal and fuselage, and related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. The original NPRM resulted from a report of chafing in this area. This action revises the original NPRM by removing certain credit for prior accomplishment of proposed requirements. We are proposing this supplemental NPRM to detect and correct such chafing or scoring, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the fuselage.

This action withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). That NPRM proposed a new airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain RRD Tay 650-15 series turbofan engines. That proposed action would have required initial and repetitive inspections of the high pressure compressor (HPC) shaft and high pressure turbine (HPT) shaft for spline flank wear. Since we issued that NPRM, the Luftfahrt- Bundesamt (LBA), which is the airworthiness authority for Germany, notified us that the spline flank wear inspections are now downgraded by RRD from ``mandatory'' to ``recommended''. Accordingly, we withdraw the proposed rule.

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 comment. The ICR describes the nature of the information collections and their expected burden. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period was published on January 11, 2006 [Volume 71, No. 7, Page 1782].

Section 6005 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) established a pilot program to allow the Secretary to assign and the State to assume the Secretary's responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for one or more highway projects. The Secretary may permit not more than five States (including the States of Alaska, California, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas) to participate in the program. Upon assigning NEPA responsibilities, the Secretary may further assign to the State all or part of the Secretary's responsibilities for environmental review, consultation or other action required under any Federal environmental law pertaining to the review of a specific project. In order to be selected for the pilot program a State must submit an application to the Secretary. Section 6005 requires the Secretary to promulgate rules that establish requirements relating to information required to be contained in an application by a State to participate in the pilot program. This proposed rule is intended to provide the application requirements.

This action proposes to revise Class E airspace at Huslia, AK. One Standard Instrument Approach Procedure (SIAP) is being produced, and two SIAPs are being revised for the Huslia Airport. Adoption of this proposal would result in revision of Class E airspace upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at Huslia, AK.

The FAA is delaying the compliance date for the final rule clarifying that contractors, including subcontractors at any tier, must be subject to drug and alcohol testing. This action is necessary because it has come to our attention that some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and other entities may be confused regarding whether they are performing maintenance or preventive maintenance duties subject to drug and alcohol testing, or manufacturing duties not subject to testing. The effective date of April 10, 2006, will remain the same, but this action extends the compliance date until October 10, 2006, which gives OEMs and others sufficient time to determine what work is subject to drug and alcohol testing.

This document makes a correction to Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2006-06-06, which published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2006 (71 FR 13533), and applies to all The Cessna Aircraft Company (Cessna) Models 208 and 208B airplanes. AD 2006-06-06 requires you to incorporate information into the applicable section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and Pilots Operating Handbook (POH) and requires installation of placards. Current language in paragraph (f)(3) of AD 2006-06-06 regarding the placard requirement inadvertently states: ``You may insert a copy of this AD into the appropriate sections of the POH to comply with this action.'' This does not meet the intent of the AD. This document corrects that paragraph by removing the language referenced above.

This action establishes Class E airspace at Minchumina, AK to provide adequate controlled airspace to contain aircraft executing two new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs), and one revised SIAP. This rule results in new Class E airspace established upward from 700 feet (ft.) above the surface at Minchumina, AK.

The FAA is publishing notice of the proposed release of approximately 3.0 acres of land located at Hamilton Municipal Airport, to allow its sale for non-aviation development. The parcel was part of the airport property acquired with federal funding support under the Airport Improvement Program. The Village of Hamilton proposes to sell the land to a developer who will develop it as a Medical office Building. FAA's action is to release the land from a deem provision requiring aeronautical use of the property. The Village of Hamilton has stated that it has no aeronautical use for the parcel now or in the near future according to the Hamilton Municipal Airport Layout Plan. The Fair Market Value of the land will be paid to the Village of Hamilton to be used for the capital development of Hamilton Municipal Airport. Any comments the agency receives will be considered as a part of the decision.

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.