Department of Transportation 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice proposes special conditions for the Cessna Aircraft Company, Model 510 airplane. This new airplane will have novel and unusual design features not typically associated with normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes. These design features include turbofan engines and engine location, for which the applicable regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate airworthiness standards. These proposed special conditions contain the additional airworthiness standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announces its findings on the noise compatibility program submitted by the Lee County Port Authority under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. (the Aviation Safety and Noise Abatement Act, hereinafter referred to as ``the Act'') and 14 CFR part 150. These findings are made in recognition of the description of Federal and nonfederal responsibilities in Senate Report No. 96-52 (1980). On February 11, 2005, the FAA determined that the noise exposure maps submitted by the Lee County Port Authority under Part 150 were in compliance with applicable requirements. On May 30, 2006, the FAA approved the Southwest Florida International Airport Noise Compatibility Program. Most of the recommendations of the program were approved.

Pursuant to duties imposed by law upon the Department, including the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. 2) ``FACA,'' and DOT Order 1120.3B, the Office of the Secretary, Department of Transportation has established an advisory committee to provide technical advice and recommendations to a USDOT/USGS Research Team investigating the potential impacts of climate change on transportation. The committee includes scientists, educators, experts, and representatives of State and local governments engaged in transportation decision-making. This document describes the role of the committee as set forth in the Charter, provides information on the qualifications of the individuals appointed by the Secretary, and provides notice of the initial meeting of the committee.

The FAA withdraws a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) proposing a new Airworthiness Directive (AD) for MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model 600N helicopters. The NPRM proposed adding six more inspection holes in the aft fuselage skin panels and inspecting the upper and lower tailboom attachment fittings, the upper longerons, and the angles and nutplates for cracks. Also, the NPRM proposed a terminating action of modifying the fuselage aft section to strengthen the tailboom attachments and longerons. Since issuing the NPRM, we have received a report of an in-flight separation of the tailboom in the inspection area. Based on that accident and due to the critical unsafe condition, we issued a final rule; request for comments that addressed the actions proposed in the NPRM. Accordingly, we withdraw the proposed AD.

This document proposes adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the specified restricted category type-certificated helicopters. The AD would require a review of the helicopter records to determine the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code of the tail rotor (T/R) slider. If the T/R slider is FAA approved or has a certain legible CAGE code, this AD would require no further action. If you cannot determine whether the T/R slider is FAA approved and it has no stamped CAGE code, an illegible stamped CAGE code, or an affected CAGE code, the AD would also require, before further flight and at specified intervals, magnaflux inspecting the T/R slider for a crack. If a crack is found, the AD would require, before further flight, replacing the T/ R slider with an airworthy T/R slider. The AD would also require replacing the T/R slider with an airworthy T/R slider on or before accumulating 1,000 hours time-in-service (TIS) or on or before 12 months, whichever occurs first. This proposal is prompted by two accidents attributed to sub-standard T/R sliders that failed during flight. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of a T/R slider, loss of T/R control, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) that supersedes AD 2002-21-08, which applies to certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd (Pilatus) Model PC-6 airplanes. AD 2002-21-08 currently requires you to inspect the aileron assembly for correct configuration and modify as necessary. Since we issued AD 2002-21-08, the FAA determined the action should also apply to all the models of the PC-6 airplanes listed in the type certificate data sheet of Type Certificate (TC) No. 7A15 that were produced in the United States through a licensing agreement between Pilatus and Fairchild Republic Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Heli Porter, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation). In addition, the intent of the applicability of AD 2002-21-08 was to apply to all the affected serial numbers of the airplane models listed in TC No. 7A15. This AD retains all the actions of AD 2002-21-08, adds those Fairchild Republic Company airplanes to the applicability of this AD, and lists the individual specific airplane models. We are issuing this AD to correct improper aileron assembly configuration, which could result in failure of the aileron mass balance weight. Such failure could lead to loss of control of the airplane.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) that supersedes AD 98-12-01, which applies to certain Pilatus Aircraft Ltd (Pilatus) Models PC-6, PC-6/A, PC-6/B, and PC-6/C series airplanes equipped with turbo-prop engines. Since we issued AD 98-12-01, the FAA determined the action should also apply to all the models of the PC-6 airplanes listed in the type certificate data sheet of Type Certificate (TC) No. 7A15 that were produced in the United States through a licensing agreement between Pilatus and Fairchild Republic Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Heli Porter, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation). In addition, the intent of the applicability of AD 98-12-01 was to apply to all the affected serial numbers of the airplane models listed in TC No. 7A15. This AD retains all the actions of AD 98-12-01, adds those Fairchild Republic Company airplanes to the applicability of this AD, and lists the individual specific airplane models. We are issuing this AD to prevent engine fuel starvation during maximum climb and descent caused by poor fuel tank venting with low fuel levels, which could result in a loss of engine power during critical phases of flight.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 747-400 and 747-400D series airplanes. This AD requires replacing specified tie rods of the center overhead stowage bins. This AD results from manufacturer analysis of the overhead storage bin support structure that demonstrated that the capability of certain existing tie rods does not meet emergency landing load requirements. We are issuing this AD to prevent detachment of the center overhead stowage bins during an extreme forward load event, which could cause injury to passengers and hinder emergency evacuation procedures.

FMCSA amends its September 27, 2002, final rule concerning protection against shifting and falling cargo for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) operated in interstate commerce in response to petitions for rulemaking from the American Trucking Association (ATA), Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Georgia-Pacific Corporation (Georgia-Pacific) and Weyerhaeuser, and in response to issues raised by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), the Forest Resources Association, Inc. (FRA), the Washington Contract Loggers Association and the Washington Log Truckers Conference (WCLA/WLTC), and the Timber Producers Association of Michigan and Wisconsin (TPA). The amendments make the final rule more consistent with the December 18, 2000, notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to adopt the North American Cargo Securement Standard Model Regulations. This final rule also includes several editorial revisions to the 2002 final rule. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://dms.dot.gov at any time or to Room PL- 401 on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays. Privacy Act: Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit https://dms.dot.gov.

These special conditions are issued to Rickenbacker Avionics, 2820 Bobmeyer Road, Hangar C-6, Hamilton, OH 45015, for a Supplemental Type Certificate for the Rockwell Twin Commander Model 690B airplane. This airplane will have novel and unusual design features when compared to the state of technology envisaged in the applicable airworthiness standards. This novel and unusual design feature will include the installation of a two-tube Bendix/King EFS-50 Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). The installation also includes components associated with this display system. The applicable regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate airworthiness standards for the protection of these systems from the effects of high intensity radiated fields (HIRF). These 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 the airworthiness standards applicable to these airplanes.

DOT intends to establish a system of records under the Privacy Act of 1974.

This action corrects a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 31, 2006 (71 FR 30828), which delegated various authorities vested in the Secretary of Transportation by the ``Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users'' (Pub. L. 109-59) and other laws to the Research and Innovative Technology Administrator; the Federal Aviation Administrator; the Federal Highway Administrator; the Federal Railroad Administrator; the National Traffic Highway Safety Administrator; the Federal Transit Administrator; the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administrator; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator; and the Under Secretary for Transportation Policy.

The FAA proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain McDonnell Douglas Model MD-11 and -11F airplanes. The existing AD currently requires an initial general visual inspection of the power feeder cables of the integrated drive generator (IDG) and the fuel feed lines of engine pylons No. 1 and No. 3 on the wings for proper clearance and damage; corrective actions if necessary; and repetitive general visual inspections and a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD would continue to require the existing actions, and for certain airplanes, this proposed AD would require installation of new clamps on the power feeder cables of the IDG of engine pylons No. 1 and No. 3. This proposed AD results from reports of IDG power feeder cables riding against structure and fuel lines in the No. 1 and No. 3 pylons. We are proposing this AD to prevent potential chafing of the power feeder cables of the IDG in engine pylons No. 1 and No. 3 on the wings, and consequent arcing on the fuel lines in the engine pylons and possible fuel fire.

The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Fokker Model F27 Mark 500 airplanes. This proposed AD would require an inspection to determine whether certain main landing gear (MLG) drag stay units (DSUs) are installed. This proposed AD would also require an ultrasonic inspection to determine if certain tubes are installed in the affected DSUs of the MLG, and related investigative/ corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD results from a report that, due to fatigue cracking from an improperly machined radius of the inner tube, a drag stay broke, and, consequently, led to the collapse of the MLG during landing. We are proposing this AD to prevent such fatigue cracking, which could result in reduced structural integrity or collapse of the MLG.

On June 21, 2005, NHTSA published a final rule that made technical amendments to several regulations that reference NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline telephone number. The rule updated the Hotline telephone number and added our Web address to the information that NHTSA requires manufacturers and dealers to provide consumers. The effective date for those amendments to Part 571, Federal motor vehicle safety standards, Part 575, Consumer information; and Part 582, Insurance cost information regulation, is June 21, 2006. This document withdraws the June 21, 2005 amendments to part 571, in response to a request from General Motors and other motor vehicle manufacturers to have the effective date coincide with the traditional September 1 vehicle model year changeover date, this document changes the effective date of the amendments to September 1, 2006.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) to revise AD 68-17-03, which applies to all Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Pilatus) PC-6 series airplanes. AD 68-17-03 requires you to repetitively inspect the rudder end rib for cracks and replace the rudder end rib with a modified rudder end rib when you find cracks. Installing the modified rudder end rib terminates the repetitive inspection requirements of AD 68-17-03. Under a licensing agreement with Pilatus, Fairchild Republic Company (also identified as Fairchild Industries, Fairchild Heli Porter, or Fairchild-Hiller Corporation) produced Model PC-6 series airplanes (manufacturer serial numbers 2001 through 2092) in the United States. AD 68-17-03 was intended to apply to all affected serial numbers of Model PC-6 series airplanes listed on Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) No. 7A15, including the Fairchild-produced airplanes. Consequently, this AD clarifies that all models of the PC-6 airplane on TCDS No. 7A15 (including those models produced under the licensing agreement by Fairchild Republic Company) are included in the applicability. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracks in the rudder end rib, which could result in failure of the rudder end rib. This failure could result in loss of rudder control.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) that supersedes AD 2005-26-53, which applies to certain Pacific Aerospace Corporation Ltd. (PAC) 750XL airplanes. AD 2005-26-53 currently requires you to insert text into the Limitations Section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) that reduces the maximum takeoff weight from 7,500 pounds to 7,125 pounds. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for New Zealand and the FAA's decision that the actions correct an unsafe condition. Consequently, this AD would require you to remove rivets that have not been fully age hardened and replace them with bolts, washers, and nuts in specific locations where reduction in rivet strength affects overall structural capability. This AD retains the actions of the previous AD until the rivets are replaced with the bolts, washers, and nuts. We are issuing this AD so that wing ultimate load requirements are met. If wing ultimate load requirements are not met, wing failure could result with consequent loss of control of the airplane.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Air Tractor, Inc. Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes. This proposed AD would require you to repetitively inspect the attach angles on the firewall mounted hopper rinse tank shelf for damage and/or cracks and replace damaged and/or cracked attach angles. Replacing the attach angles with steel attach angles would terminate the proposed repetitive inspection requirement. Reports of an uncommanded change in the engine power setting caused by separation of the hopper rinse tank shelf from the firewall prompted this proposed AD. We are proposing this AD to detect and correct damage and/or cracks in the attach angles on the firewall mounted hopper rinse tank shelf, which could result in failure of the attach angles. This failure could lead to shelf movement under maneuver load and shifting of the engine power cables, which could result in an uncommanded engine power setting change.

Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption part 11 of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities. Neither publication of this notice nor the inclusion or omission of information in the summary is intended to affect the legal status of any petition or its final disposition.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing Model 757 airplanes. This AD requires, for certain airplanes, reworking the spar bonding path and reapplying sealant; and, for certain other airplanes, testing the electrical bond between the engine fuel feed hose and the wing front spar and, if applicable, reworking the spar bonding path and reapplying sealant. This AD also requires, for all airplanes, an inspection to ensure the electrical bonding jumper is installed between the engine fuel feed tube and the adjacent wing station. This AD also requires operators that may have installed an incorrect O-ring to install the correct part and do a re- test. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. We are issuing this AD to prevent arcing or sparking at the interface between the bulkhead fittings of the engine fuel feed tube and the front spar during a lightning strike, which could provide a possible ignition source for the fuel vapor inside the fuel tank and result in a fuel tank explosion.

The FAA is superseding an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to certain Boeing Model 727-200 series airplanes. That AD currently requires initial and repetitive inspections for cracks in the forward frame of the No. 3 cargo door cutout; and corrective actions, if necessary. The existing AD also provides for an optional structural modification, which terminates the repetitive inspections. This new AD reduces the compliance time for the initial inspections and adds an optional method of inspection for both the initial and repetitive inspections. This AD also adds initial and repetitive inspections of an additional area, and repair if necessary. Additionally, this AD clarifies that the previously optional structural modification is now required by other rulemaking. This AD results from additional reports of cracking in the forward frame of the No. 3 cargo door cutout. We are issuing this AD to detect and correct cracking of the forward frame and fuselage skin of the No. 3 cargo door cutout, which could result in failure of the frame and skin, and consequent rapid decompression of the airplane.

This action proposes to revise Class E airspace at Barter Island, AK. Two new Standard Instrument Approach Procedures (SIAPs) are being developed and one SIAP is being amended for the Barter Island Airport. Adoption of this proposal would result in amending Class E airspace upward from 700 feet (ft.) and 1,200 ft. above the surface at Barter Island, AK.

DOT intends to establish a system of records under the Privacy Act of 1974.