Department of Transportation August 22, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Board accepts the application of PYCO Industries, Inc. (PYCO) to purchase the entirety of the rail lines of South Plains Switching, Ltd. Co. (SAW) in Lubbock, TX, as complete under 49 U.S.C. 10907 and 49 CFR 1151. The Board also sets a procedural schedule, including the date for the filing of competing feeder line applications to purchase the entirety of SAW's rail lines.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Airbus Model A318, A319, A320, and A321 airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive detailed inspections of the inboard flap trunnions for any wear marks and of the sliding panels for any cracking at the long edges; and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD would add airplanes to the applicability in the existing AD and change the inspection type. This proposed AD results from a determination that certain airplanes must be included in the applicability of the AD, and that the inspection type must be revised. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct wear of the inboard flap trunnions, which could lead to loss of flap surface control and consequently result in the flap detaching from the airplane. A detached flap could result in damage to the tail of the airplane.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Fokker Model F27 Mark 050 airplanes. This AD requires doing an initial inspection of the leading edge sections of the elevators to detect loose leading edges and to ensure that there is no gap between the sections and the front spar, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD also requires determining the type of leading edge installed on the elevators. For certain airplanes, this AD requires repetitive inspections until the modification of the leading edge sections of the elevators and the application of sealant, which would end the repetitive inspections. This AD results from reports that the leading edges of the elevators were found loose, although the fasteners were still in place; in one case a stud was broken. In addition, the fastener attachment holes were elongated and worn out, and fretting damage was found on the elevator front spar and balance weights. Investigation revealed that vibration, induced by the propeller slipstream, was the cause of these discrepancies; the stud failure was due to improper installation of the fasteners. We are issuing this AD to prevent jamming, restricting, or binding of the elevators due to loose or missing fasteners, which could make the movement of the elevator difficult and decrease aerodynamic control of the airplane.